Ember
by ShaddowLugia
Summary: Ember is a bioweapon tortured by the scientists who made her. Lar'ja-thwei is a Yautja framed for a murder he didn't commit, banished by his Clan. When he's captured by humans, can they join forces to escape? And what will happen when his brother comes to Earth seeking Lar'ja-thwei's death and the alien Queen is on the loose?
1. PROLOGUE

Author Note: I don't own Aliens or Predators. I had two chapters of this story up a while ago on FanFiction, but decided to take it down and rewrite it. I also wanted to save it for a better time, namely, when I was finshed with Predator: Apocalypse (which, by the way, I am _**so**_ proud of-please read it!). I will be working on this alongside my other story, Alliance of the Gods (which is a sequel to Predator: Apocalypse). I will not be writing the crossover I've been talking about (Half-Blood Monsters). There is also a one-shot that goes along with this story, called Dreaming of Freedom. So anyway, my rambling aside (you'll get used to my ramblings, hopefully), enjoy!

PROLOGUE

SOMEWHERE in the vast Pacific Ocean, there was a facility where scientists and doctors conducted top-secret research and expiraments. Years ago, the American government had discovered a crashed spacecraft in the Arizona desert, removing the ship to a safe location, out of public view. Within the ship was an array of advanced technology, far more superior than any human technology. Inside, there were also two different species not from Earth. All but one of the beings were dead, and the one that was alive was taken into custody on the island laboratory in the Pacific.

After a year and a half of debate, it was decided that the DNA from both alien species would be used to create a bioweapon for the American military. They transported one of the dead humanoid aliens to the lab to be used in the expirament. The live creature, a species the scientists called a "Xenomorph", would also be used for what was then known as the "Hybrid Project".

At first, they combined just the two aliens' DNA, and found that the genes of the Xenomorph readily bonded to the humanoid, called a "Predator"-named so because of the weapons the humanoid had been found with. The scientists created the hybrid, but it was unfit to be a bioweapon, because it lacked the intelligence to be trained. It escaped and killed twenty-seven doctors and scientists, as well as eighteen military officials before it was destroyed.

Once more they tried, but the result was the same, only with less casualties, because they were ready for the beast's brutality.

After the second attempt to create the new bioweapon, someone came up with a solution. She proposed using _human_ DNA to bond the two, thereby creating a creature with strength and intelligence. Human DNA expiraments were illegal, but the government authorized it, and so the tests began.

They failed many, many times. The Chimaera Project was more difficult than anyone could have foreseen. Combining three different sets of DNA at once didn't work, and resulted in horribly mutated creatures that did not survive. After much discussion, they next tried to splice the human and Xenomorph DNA, then add the Predator genes after the two were combined. Again, they failed many times.

Finally, the scientists did the opposite, and added Xenomorph DNA to a human-Predator hybrid. The result was better than before, but the subject still died. With new hope of creating the Chimaera weapon, they kept expiramenting, getting closer and closer with each new being, when, at last, they succeeded.

The subject's name was CP-159. After failing one hundred and fifty-eight times, they had finally created the military bioweapon. Put on growth drugs, the Chimaera grew to her full size in just under three years.

After so long, it was time for the weapon to be trained. Soon enough, CP-159 would be the most feared being alive.

It was time to wake the beast.

...

Please review! So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Read on, to the next chapter!


	2. 1: AWAKE AND ALIVE

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks for reading! Hope you all liked the Prologue. Now, we get in to the real story. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to PM me or leave a review! Enjoy!

1: AWAKE AND ALIVE

CP-159 was dreaming. In her mind, she was she was a young girl with wavy brown hair and beautiful green eyes. She played on a beach, chasing sea gulls and kicking up sand and sea water. Her skin was a healthy tan color, from all the time she spent outside. At least, that's what she looked like in her dreams.

In reality, she was anything but an ordinary girl. One look at her, and it was obvious she wasn't human. She was eight feet tall for one thing, and had skin that looked almost reptilian. Her skin was pasty yellow, with fine black speckles peppering her shoulders, upper arms, and back. In place of hair, she had black tendrils that resembled dreadlocks, the "dreads" reaching her waist. Her arms from the elbow down, as well as her legs, were covered by a black exoskeleton, her fingers and toes tipped with sharp claws. CP-159 had a long, prehensile tail, with spiked segments and made of the same black armor as her arms and legs. The tail ended in a wicked, sharp blade. The only thing that was human about her was her face.

She was curled up, hugging her knees, in a glass isolation chamber. The tank was filled with water, at a temperature that made her muscles relax. She was hooked up to machines that monitored her health, as well as several IVs that put nutrients, drugs, and sedatives into her body. An oxygen mask was fitted over her face so she could breathe, and a machine measured her breathing and oxygen use. Her tail, easily nine and half feet long, was coiled around CP-159's slim but strong body.

While she played in her dream world, scientists and doctors worked around the sterile, white room. They monitored the Chimaera, while nervously watching the door, as though waiting for someone to arrive. The room was buzzing with excitement. Today was the day that the creation they'd worked so hard on would be awoken. But first, they had to wait for _him _to arrive.

At long last, a tall man in military uniform walked in, his stride brisk and purposeful, followed by the lead scientist. She was talking to the intimidating military General, who didn't appear to be interested in what the doctor had to say. He walked over to the tank and studied the Chimaera in it.

"Isn't it time you woke 159?" he said shortly, interrupting the doctor.

She was silent for a moment, apparently annoyed that he had interrupted her, then said, "We were waiting for you to arrive, as you told us to." She was careful to keep her tone neutral-she had thought that being in the military would give General Jackson a better sense of time. Didn't he realize just how important this was?

Jackson glared at her, knowing that she was basically telling him not to blame them for not having CP-159 awake by now. Despite his annoyance, he decided not to say anything about it. "Well I'm here now, Dr. Kingston" he said, stepping away from the isolation tank. "Wake her up."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Kingston nodded and went over to a control panel on the side of the tank. She put in the security code, then drained the tank of water. The doctor kept an eye on 159 the whole time, making sure nothing would happen to the bioweapon during the waking process. Once the water was drained, the glass walls of the chamber were lifted, leaving 159 open to the room. She went on sleeping, the sedatives still in her system.

Kingston removed the IV of sedatives, then waited for the drugs already in her body to wear off. She expected it to be fast, but was still surprised when 159 stirred after only a couple moments after the IV was removed.

CP-159 slowly opened her amber-colored eyes and looked around sleepily. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes, then looked at her arm in surprise. Cocking her head to one side, looking confused, she looked over the rest of her body, ending in her tail. She swished it expiramentally.

General Jackson approached 159. "So, you're finally awake," he said. He seemed ready to fight, if it turned out that she was hostile.

Rather than attack the General, 159 simply looked at him. She lost interest in watching him after a moment, and instead tried to get the oxygen mask off her face.

Kingston stepped forward and took it off, watching as 159 breathed the lab air for the first time. The Chimaera wrinkled her nose and snorted in disgust. She supposed it must have been the smell of chemicals and bleach.

Dr. Kingston breathed a sigh of relief. "Looks like she's healthy and alert," she said. "She's not hostile, either."

"Just make sure she can be trained," said Jackson. "She's a weapon, and she has to learn to obey. Don't coddle her."

"I know that," said Kingston. "Look at her-she's like a child. I'm sure it won't be difficult to train her. But first, we need to get an idea of what her physical abilities and senses are like."

She looked over at 159, who was trying to stand up. Her legs seemed strong, but, having never used them before, she was wobbly on them.

"Stay where you are," ordered Jackson when she tried to walk.

159 again put her head to one side and looked at him. "S-s-stay?" she said.

Looks of surprise flitted across the doctor's and general's faces.

"So she can talk," said Jackson.

"Yes, but does she understand?" countered Kingston. She pointed at the ground by 159. "Stay," she said.

159 seemed to get it. She sat back down. "Stay," she repeated.

Jackson snorted, unimpressed. "We've got a long way to go."

...

Please review! What do you think of 159? She's not the Ember you know from Dreaming of Freedom, but she's childish and innocent when she first wakes up. Her mind will mature more as the story goes on. Hope you liked it!


	3. 2: LAR'JATHWEI

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Hope you're all enjoying the story. This is another kind of introductory chapter, because there's another major character in this story. Suggestions and comments, as always, are always welcome. Thanks to everyone for reading this. Side note: sometime this summer, I will be going to California, and my family there doesn't have a computer. So, I will be unable to post during that time, and I'll be there for at least 2-3 weeks. That's why I'll try to post at least one chapter every other day (the days I don't post Ember chapters will be days when I post Alliance of the Gods chapters-I'll be alternating posts), so you'll have a good amount of the story to read before I'm in Long Beach. It's a ways away, but also keep in mind, that if I'm writing during the school year, I'll only be able to post about once a week. However, I'll post more than one chapter during that time. So please be patient with me. Long speech aside (like I said, get used to my rambling), enjoy!

2: LAR'JA-THWEI

THINGS were not looking good for Lar'ja-thwei. He stood before the Clan Elders, hands tied behind his back, armorless and weaponless. He was on trial...for murder. His blood boiled with hatred.

_When I get my hands on that brother of mine_, he snarled inwardly, _**then**__ they can accuse me of murder!_

Lar'ja-thwei certainly had _not_ killed that Youngblood, Dto. His younger brother, Sain'ja, had, and framed him to get away with it. So far, it seemed no one believed him, which only made him even angrier. Lar'ja-thwei was an honorable Yautja! How dare they say _he_ would be so dishonorable as to slay Dto? If he was going to kill anyone, it would be Sain'ja, and only after he _honorably_ challenged him. That damned _tarei'hsan_! He would pay for framing him!

"Lar'ja-thwei," said an Elder, Hiju. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Lar'ja-thwei forced himself to remain calm. Losing his temper would only make things worse. "Only that I am wrongly accused, honored Elder," he said, head bowed humbly. "I would rather die than commit such a dishonorable act. I did not kill Dto. What proof is there that I am responsible?"

"For one thing, your ceremonial dagger was found in Dto's back," said another Elder, L'ulij-bpe. He scoffed. "What do you have to say about that?"

Staying calm was becoming a real challenge for Lar'ja-thwei at the Elder's tone. "It was stolen from me, by my brother, Sain'ja."

"So you are again accusing Sain'ja of this crime?" said Hiju.

He raised his head just a bit. "Yes. Did you check his mask's recording device?"

"He was not using his mask at the time of the kill," said Tjau'ke. "And neither were you. There is no evidence from either of your masks."

"And Sain'ja has something you do not-someone to account for his whereabouts," said L'ulij-bpe.

Lar'ja-thwei stiffened. He should have known Sain'ja would get someone to help him! "Who is that?" he asked emotionlessly.

"Setg'-in," said Hiju. "He claims that Sain'ja was with him at the _kehrite_."

"Setg'-in is lying," said Lar'ja-thwei.

"And do you have proof?" asked Tjau'ke hostilely.

Lar'ja-thwei fought the urge to roar. "No. But..."

"If you have no proof, there is no reason to believe you," said Tjau'ke, interrupting Lar'ja-thwei. "The one piece of evidence, your dagger, points to you as the murderer."

"What reason would I have for killing Dto?" said Lar'ja-thwei. His heart was pounding as his frusteration built. They seriously thought he was the culprit! "I have never even heard of him, before I was put on trial!"

"Again, you have no proof," said the Elder dismissively.

_Proof? PROOF? How am I expected to have proof that I am innocent? _he raged. _My dagger was stolen, I was alone in my quarters, my mask and Sain'ja's were turned off. The only 'real' proof they have that Sain'ja is innocent is that lying zabin, Setg'-in!_

"I've heard enough," said Hiju. "Lar'ja-thwei, for your crime, you will be banished to N'ithya. You may keep only your mask. And you may never return. You will be branded as a Badblood. If any Yautja sees you, they have rights to kill you as a criminal." He looked at Lar'ja-thwei without pity. "You have no honor left to your name, Lar'ja-thwei."

Lar'ja-thwei struggled to keep calm. He forced himself not to fight the guards that came to take him away from the Elders Chamber. The shock helped to keep him still. No honor? Stuck on N'ithya, the Oomans' planet? He was a _Badblood_? Numbly, he saw Sain'ja standing outside the Elders Chamber with Setg'-in. Sain'ja smirked at him, which made Lar'ja-thwei snap. He roared curses at his brother even when he was out of sight. Enraged as he was, Lar'ja-thwei felt nothing but his blood-boiling anger. He hardly even felt the pain of the acid that burned away his Clan-mark. His mask was fitted over his face and he was shoved unceremoniously into an escape pod, which the guards set for N'ithya.

As he started on his way to the Ooman planet, Lar'ja-thwei roared and raged against his brother, and the new life as a Badblood awaiting him.

...

TRANSLATIONS

Lar'ja-thwei: Dark blood

Dto: Forest

Sain'ja: Warrior

Yautja: Predator species

Tarei'hsan: Unworthy opponent

Hiju: Battle stance

Tjau'ke: Hard-packed dirt/kind of rock

L'ulij-bpe: Crazy

Setg'-in: Quick and deadly

...

Please review! Hope you liked chapter 2!


	4. 3: A TEST OF STRENGTH

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks to everyone who's read Ember and thanks to Teshy and for your reviews. Hope you're enjoying the story so far, and if you have any suggestions, they're always welcome :3 Keep reading, and, as always, enjoy!

3: A TEST OF STRENGTH

DR. KINGSTON and General Jackson took CP-159 through the lab to a training room, eager to test her abilities. 159 childishly gazed in wonder at everything around her, slowing them down considerably. They allowed her to look, though, and familiarize herself with the laboratory. When she pointed a sharp, black claw at something, wanting to know what it was, they explained it, then moved on. She was interested in everything, so nearly half an hour had passed by the time they got to the training room.

"Sit there," said Kingston, pointing to a gurney in the middle of the room.

159 went over to it, then looked at the doctor. Kingston rolled her eyes and pointed at it again. "Sit."

CP-159 got on the gurney and sat, seeming to understand. "S-sit?" she asked, then smiled when the doctor nodded.

"She catches on fast," said Jackson dryly.

He studied the Chimaera, who looked back at him innocently. His stern gaze intimidated most people, but 159 didn't seem fazed by him. After a moment, she lost interest in the staring contest and watched her powerful tail swing back and forth, eyes fixed on the deadly blade on the end.

"Alright," said Kingston. "Let's test her senses first."

They used a machine that could generate soundwaves above, below, and at a human's range of hearing. Kingston set the frequencies and Jackson asked CP-159 if she could hear. 159 seemed to regard it as a game and willingly did as she was told. As it turned out, she could hear far above and far below a normal person's range. They only briefly tested the higher pitches, as she screeched in pain (sounding amazingly like a Xenomorph) when it got too high.

Next, they tested her eyesight, and discovered, to their astonishment, that she could see in color and sense where everything was in total darkness, much like a Xenomorph. 159 then surprised them again by her ability to see infrared radiation.

"That must be from the Predator DNA," mused Kingston. She was sorry not to have a live specimen, but knew that if it wasn't human or Xenomorph, the ability would be Predator.

"Must be," grunted Jackson.

After testing her sense of smell (they found she could smell two times better than a bloodhound), the General and doctor decided to move on and start testing her physical abilities.

They first had her run on a treadmill, starting off at a walking pace, then moving on to faster speeds. 159 was also fitted with an oxygen mask, to monitor her oxygen use while running, much like the machine she was hooked up to while asleep. She didn't seem to tire, and after a full hour of having her run at the treadmill's top speed, they had her stop. She was barely panting when she stepped off and had her mask removed. 159 looked at them expectantly, as though ready for another "game".

After running, she was told to lift weights, which she did so without any visible effort, even when lifting nearly three hundred pounds. She lifted the weight easily with just one hand, holding it above her head until Jackson told her to drop it. 159, unfortunately, took it literally, and did so, luckily missing the General's foot by inches. He scowled and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Jackson then taught her push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups, and had her do a hundred of each. She did so without breaking a sweat. Afterward, she simply sat on the ground and looked at them again, tail swaying back and forth lazily.

"I don't think we need anymore tests," said Kingston. "She's obviously stronger than a human, and has amazing stamina."

Jackson shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. Take a blood sample and let's call it a day." He, of course, was used to full days of physical activity, but knew the doctor wasn't. Besides, he agreed. They didn't need tests to see 159's strength.

Kingston had 159 sit on the gurney and got out a syringe, then tied a band tightly around CP-159's upper arm.

"Hold still," she said to 159, then found a vein and slid the needle into her arm.

Unexpectedly, the metal needle started to smoke and melted. Kingston, startled, quickly took it away from 159's arm and dropped it onto a table. 159 looked at her arm with interest, then looked at Kingston.

"Looks like she has Xeno blood," said Jackson. He could think of several ways acidic blood would be useful in combat.

Kingston got over her shock and sighed. She went to check on 159's arm, only to find that the small hole she'd made with the needle was gone. "Look at this," she said.

Jackson strode over and looked doubtfully at 159's arm. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"The wound is gone," said Kingston. Just to confirm, she tried squeezing out more blood, but the skin was intact.

"G-g-gone?" said 159. She held up her arm curiously.

Jackson picked up a scalpel, took 159's hand and made a slit in her palm. 159 gasped with pain at the shallow cut, but didn't try to snatch her hand back. She let out a little whine, but watched, fascinated, as the cut healed almost instantly.

"That's incredible," said Kingston. "She can regenerate."

Jackson nodded and dropped the scalpel. "Well, this is even better than we'd hoped for. We got the strength and super senses we wanted, but regeneration?" he shook his head. "She'll be unbeatable."

"And think of the medical uses this healing ability could be put to use for," said Kingston. "If we can get a cell sample."

Jackson wasn't listening. Truth be told, he didn't care much about the medical advantages. He was thinking about the bioweapon. A super powerful weapon that couldn't die? There were endless possibilities for 159. But what if there were ways for her to die? What if she could only heal minor wounds?

"Doctor," said Jackson, interrupting Kingston.

She glared at him, hating to be interrupted. "Yes?"

"Tomorrow, I want you to test if she can die," said Jackson. "Test her healing abilities to the limit. That's an order."

Kingston looked surprised at the order, but didn't argue. "I assume you're leaving?" she said.

Jackson nodded. "I have to report to the President," he said. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear about 159."

He glanced at said Chimaera, who was watching them both, appearing to have lost interest in her tail for the moment, then made his way to the chopper he'd come to the island on. Testing 159 an training her was Kingston's job now. Not one to completely trust Kingston, Jackson pulled aside the scientist he'd brought to report to him, Dr. Kawazaki, and told him to keep a close eye on Kingston. Kawazaki said he would and watched as Jackson got on the 'copter.

Things were getting interesting.

...

Please review! I hope you're liking the story so far. Keep reading! :D


	5. 4: ARRIVAL

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators, only this story and my OCs. Thank you all for making this my second most viewed story on FanFiction. I'm glad to know lots of people are reading this. As of right now (June 17th at 3:50 P.M.) I have 466 views on Ember. It'll probably end up being more popular than my first story, Predator: Apocalypse. I'm not sure I'm happy about that, but whatever. People don't really like the self-in-fic stories, so I understand. Still, don't think I'm obsessed with myself because I'm not. :/ Anyways, thanks for reading, and please write a review. :D Enjoy!

4: ARRIVAL

LAR'JA-THWEI stepped out of the escape pod and did a quick survey of his surroundings. It was hot and humid, the perfect weather for a Yautja. _At least the Elders had the decency not to send me to a frozen wasteland,_ he thought bitterly. _They probably just want me to survive so someone can hunt me down and take my skull as a trophy. _Not to mention, there were Oomans on this island.

He'd spotted the sprawl of the Ooman building as he was landing. _Great_, he had thought. _Oomans in the area. Another thing I have to worry about._

Lar'ja-thwei looked around and growled in irritation. First things first. He had to find a place to make a shelter of some sort. Somewhere to live without being detected by Oomans. Glancing around, Lar'ja-thwei spotted some large hills, near enough that it wouldn't take long to reach, but far enough from the buildings to feel safe. After that, Lar'ja-thwei would have to make weapons. They would be primitive weapons, as he had nothing but his mask, but they would do for the N'ithya life-forms.

Lar'ja-thwei rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, then took off running. He found himself wishing that he had his cloaking device, but the Elders had had it removed from his mask. Well, at least his black stripes and dark gray speckles would help break up his form in the forest light. Lar'ja-thwei, not for the first time, was glad he was one of the rare Yautja who could see colors. It was a rare defect and he usually didn't like it, except on hunts, but he knew it would be useful for living on N'ithya.

As he ran, he thought of how wonderful it would be to kill Sain'ja. Lar'ja-thwei would beat him to an inch of his worthless life, then rip out his spine. Then, he'd crush the traitor's skull-he had no use for a trophy like that. After killing Sain'ja, he would kill Setg'-in as well.

_You'll get your chance to kill them both_, he thought. _Sain'ja will come looking for you, along with Setg'-in. They'll want to prove themselves by killing a Badblood. _

The thought that he was a Badblood now made him so angry, he nearly let out a roar. The only thing that kept him silent was the fact that there were Oomans nearby. He knew their hearing wasn't great compared to a Yautja, but he also knew that a roar would _definately_ be heard by them. He couldn't risk revealing himself.

Soon enough, he reached the hills and started climbing up the tallest one. Near the top, he was pleased to discover a small cave. Cautiously, he checked it for anything that might already be living there, then walked inside. The walls and floor were made of hard-packed dirt. It was about nine _nok_s high and six-and-a-half _nok_s wide. The mouth of the cave was smaller than the ceiling, only seven _nok_s, so he had to stoop ever so slightly to walk inside. Lar'ja-thwei was pleased by the cave, his new home. With a bit of work, it would be livable.

Lar'ja-thwei left the cave to get wood, knocking down small trees by throwing his weight against them. After gathering five of them, he pulled them up the hill and left them in the cave. Afterwards, he collected rocks and brought those to his home as well. He set to work stripping the trees of leaves, branches, and bark. Using some of the branches, he made spears, using a sharp rock to carve the points.

Setting stones in a circle, he deposited leaves and sticks in the middle. Once he had his makeshift fireplace set up, he used two more rocks to start the fire. It was a primitive method that he'd learned as a Youngblood, but it worked. Soon he had a fire for warmth and light. One of the trees was broken up and put into a pile by the fire, to be used as firewood. He finished stripping the other three trees and put them aside, to use later.

The hard work had taken his mind off of his current situation, and made him feel much calmer than before. He sat and rested, then looked out of the cave and was vaguely surprised to find that the sun was setting. Tired after using up his energy raging and working, he decided to get some sleep, then hunt tomorrow, when he was well-rested.

Lar'ja-thwei took off his mask and half-heartedly cursed his brother and Setg'-in as he fell asleep. No dreams troubled Lar'ja-thwei, exhausted as he was.

The next morning...he was awoken by a piercing scream of agony.

...

Please review. Sorry for how short it is, and if you see any mistakes, please let me know. Look out for the next chapter! :3


	6. 5: EMBER

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks for reading and for reviewing. I'm glad people are enjoying Ember (which makes it even sadder that I lost the original Ember files a few years ago...*sigh*). I've gotten a lot of views (last I checked it was 700-something) on this story, and it's my second most popular FanFiction. Yay! Anyways, enjoy!

5: EMBER

CP-159 was in great pain.

She'd been awoken early, and, still groggy and tired, was taken to a large, brightly lit bright room. She saw an assortment of objects in the room and wondered what they were for. Unfortunately, the Chimaera found out the hard way.

The people in the room were trying to kill her, it seemed. And yet...she couldn't die. This was the first time she'd felt pain before, and she wanted it to end. She couldn't even think. All she wanted was for them to stop hurting her. No matter what they did, 159's body healed, even though she certainly should be dead by now.

She saw the person in white from yesterday (the one called "Kingston") standing in a corner of the room, watching 159 be tortured, along with another person she didn't recognize. Why was she just standing there? CP-159 wondered why someone wouldn't stop the people from hurting her.

159 was covered in her own blood, a sight that made her dizzy. She let out scream after scream, that soon evolved into screeches and roars. She couldn't even try to defend herself or run away-her limbs and tail were bound behind her back, bolted to the floor. Despite her strength, she couldn't seem to break free. The ground around her sizzled and melted where her blood splashed.

Then she remembered-her blood melted objects! She fought the haze of pain and focused. Though it hurt, she clawed open her wrists and let her blood eat away the metal keeping her bound to the floor. When it was weak enough, she broke free and ran to a corner, curling up with a whimper. The people looked at her with surprise, but 159 barely noticed. As the last of her wounds healed, she sighed and collapsed, too tired to care.

"Dr. Kingston...?" said one of the people.

"Well, well," said the stranger next to Kingston. "She's smarter than we thought, isn't she?" He chuckled. "Perhaps training her will be easier than we thought. Of course...she may also be smart enough to fight back..."

"Thank you, Dr. Kawazaki," said Kingston through gritted teeth. "She won't fight back. If she didn't when she was being tortured, that just shows she won't."

"Let's hope you're right," said Kawazaki. "I have a report to fill out." So saying, he left.

Kingston shook her head and approached 159, who made no attempt to acknowledge her presence. She was too exhausted to do so.

"I think it's safe to say she can't die," Kingston mused. "At least, not easily." She smiled at the tired and scared Chimaera. "She's strong, but we can make her stronger."

Another person joined Kingston. "Exactly," he said. "Like embers that grow into a raging fire."

She glanced at him. "Very _poetic_, soldier," she said. She sounded almost disdainful, but she was mildly impressed. Maybe not all of these soldiers were trigger-happy morons. And the description certainly fit.

"E...ember..." said 159.

"What was that?" said Kingston. She was surprised that 159 could speak at all, after what she'd just gone through. (_It was necessary, though_, thought Kingston dismissively).

"Ember," repeated CP-159. She pointed to herself and said it again.

"I think she's saying her name is Ember," noted the soldier. "It would be a cool code name."

Kingston sighed. "Whatever. I don't care what we call her. But she's a weapon, not a pet. Not a person. Remember that."

"I know that," he retorted. "I'm just saying her code name can be Ember."

"Ember," whispered 159, almost in agreement, before passing out.

She was, however, haunted by Kingston's words as she blacked out. _Not a person_. Who was she?

...

Please review! Sorry it is short but I'm just not good at making longer chapters. I hope you liked this chapter. Again, please review, and look out for the next update! See you later!


	7. 6: CAPTURE

Author Note: I do not (and never will) own Aliens or Predators. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Sorry the last chapter was so short and there hasn't been an update in a few days, but I'm trying to work on it as much as I can. I just don't want to rush through it, or write too often, or I might lose interest. I need to pace myself and not write too much at one time. I'm also working on another story (Amnesia: The Novelization), which takes considerably longer to write than this story. So, please bear with me. Also keep in mind that this _is_ summertime, and I'm on summer break, so I also want to go out and have fun :) But don't worry; you'll get to read more Ember. Ramble aside, enjoy!

6: CAPTURE

LAR'JA-THWEI looked out at the island in the direction of the Oomans' lab and wondered what in the name of the Black Warrior was going on. The screams, thank goodness, had finally stopped, but what were the Oomans _doing_? Never before had Lar'ja-thwei heard such pain-filled screams, not even when hunting. And the cries he heard...they were death screams. Yet they had gone on for nearly four hours!

Lar'ja-thwei suppressed a shudder of disgust. _Oomans!_ he thought distastefully. They were such dishonorable beings. Who were they torturing to evoke such cries? A Yautja would never torture a creature like the Oomans were obviously doing. And the voice was obviously female...which only made Lar'ja-thwei even more enraged.

He found it ironic that he should end up here, on an island with Oomans and screams of pain filling the otherwise calm air. The one who set the destination for the pod had most likely not known about the Oomans and their lab, so he found it ironic that his place of exile would be one with Oomans and torture.

Lar'ja-thwei shook his head and growled. He got up and armed himself with three of his makeshift spears. If he was awake, he might as well hunt. Anyway, he didn't feel that he'd be able to sleep after what he'd heard coming from the lab. He put his mask on and descended down the hill, wishing (not for the first time) that he had his cloaking device. Still, he'd make do without it. He'd done it before and could do it again, even if it would be useful when evading Oomans.

An hour passed and Lar'ja-thwei, to his dismay, found that there was very little wildlife on the island. Surely on a rainforested island there should be plenty of game. And yet, the majority of the little life he found was insects. Strange.

_Perhaps the Oomans have something to do with this_, he thought grimly. _After all, they've wiped out many N'ithya species. They must have done something to the life here. C'jit! Now what am I supposed to do?_

He puzzled over what he was going to do for food for a while, then decided to catch fish. He was surrounded by water; he was sure there would be plenty of marine life to hunt.

Lar'ja-thwei headed to the ocean, taking care to stay away from the lab. While he walked, he pondered the issue of the Oomans, and what they could possibly doing. There were too many possibilities, and he didn't fully comprehend Ooman behavior, but it kept his mind busy while he walked to the water. Still, he was careful to listen carefully to everything around him. After a while, he decided to take his mask off so he could smell his surroundings as well.

At last, he made it to a sandy beach which led to the sea. Trying to ignore the smell of salt in the water and air, he got a spear ready and waded into the surf. Placing his mask back over his face, he started swimming into deeper water, where the fish would be.

He found that hunting (or _fishing_) took his mind off other things (his brother, for one thing) and helped him focus. The blinding rage had simmered to a dull hatred, which, unfortunately, was now being fueled by the Oomans and their mysterious behavior. Oomans were _kwei_, he knew that. Dishonorable, too. What were they doing?

He forced it out of his mind as he speared fish, making sure to kill extra to dry and store for later. When he felt he had enough, he swam toward the shore and got out of the water. The sea was warm, but still too cold for his liking. Still, it had been a refreshing swim.

Setting off at a run, Lar'ja-thwei headed back to his mountain through the hot and humid forest. Again, he was disturbed by the lack of wildlife in the area, but he was glad to have a source of food. If there hadn't been any game around at all, he'd have taken his own life. A quick death by means of a weapon was better than starving to death. Lar'ja-thwei remembered a time when he had nearly starved to death, and, needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Better to take one's own life than waste away to a slow death.

Lar'ja-thwei let out a rumble of black humor. There were heavy thoughts in his head. He had never been an optimistic Yautja, but he'd never been as dark-minded as now...

He was so focused on his thoughts he never saw it coming. A shot to the abdomen, a heavy blow to the head, and Lar'ja-thwei was knocked unconscious.

He was in the hands of the Oomans.

...

TRANSLATIONS:

C'jit: Damn

Kwei: Sly, tricky

...

Please review! Hope you liked this chapter, and, again, sorry for the short last chapter. Look out for the next update!


	8. 7: THE QUEEN

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews Ember. Also, thanks for making this my second most popular story-I've gotten over 1,000 views on Ember! Soon it will have more views than my first story, Predator: Apocalypse. Sorry the chapters have been so short, but I write better with shorter chapters for some reason. Anyways, enjoy!

7: THE QUEEN

EMBER loosed several quick, powerful kicks at a punching bag, snapping the chains that kept it suspended above the floor. Her teacher, a man named Leutenant Steele, sighed in exasperation.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he said, sounding annoyed. "Don't use your full strength against the punching bag!"

All day, Steele had been teaching Ember (everyone had started calling her by her new code name, rather than 159, except Kawazaki) martial arts. However, Emberm it seemed, had trouble controlling her immense strength. She had knocked the bag off its chains seven times.

"Sorry," Ember said for the seventh time. "I will try harder."

Along with her fighting skills, she was learning to speak better. Her mind was maturing faster than anticipated. She spoke slowly and carefully, but it was a vast improvement from her former choppy, imcomplete sentances. She understood more and could now comprehend more complex sentances than before. It was hard to believe that she'd only been awake for three and a half days.

Steele grimaced as he fixed the punching bag. "Now, try again," he said, stepping back. "And don't use your full strength!"

Ember nodded and kicked the bag, thankfully keeping the chains intact. Steele had her repeat the snap kick until he was sure she had it down, then moved on to a roundhouse kick. He was glad she learned fast, and was finally cutting back on her strength. He was certain she'd be combat-ready soon enough.

While Ember was doing sets of roundhouse kicks, Kingston and Kawazaki came in, accompanied by another scientist. Ember paused in her kicks but kept going when Steele snapped at her.

"What is it?" Steele said, obviously impatient.

"Today's lessons are over," said Kawazaki. "We need her."

"Fine," said Steele shortly. "Ember, go with them," he said to the Chimaera, jabbing a thumb in the doctors' direction.

Ember nodded and followed Kawazaki and Kingston through the lab. She wondered what they wanted with her. More medical tests, she guessed. She didn't ask, though-she knew they'd tell her when they got to their destination. Soon enough, they arrived at a room similar to the one Ember had woken up in. She looked around the roo, confused, then saw a large glass chamber with someone-some_thing_-inside.

He was a seven-foot-tall humanoid, with a heavy, muscular build. His skin was like Ember's, not quite reptilian, with bold black stripes and dark gray spots. He had clawed hands and feet, a crab-like face with...pincers? No, _mandibles_, tusk-tipped mandibles and dreadlocks like hers. Ember looked at the similarities between them, and wondered at the significance of it.

"Who...who is that?" asked Ember, pointing.

"You should be asking _what_ is that," said Kingston. "And to answer that question, that is a Predator."

"P-Predator?" said Ember.

"Yes," said Kingston. "It is an alien species, one of three species whose DNA was used to make you."

"I am part Predator," stated Ember. She approached the chamber, gazing at the Predator. Did that make her related to his creature? She turned to the scientists. "I am part Predator..." she said slowly. "And part...what?"

"You also have human and Xenomorph DNA," said Kawazaki.

Ember knew what a human was, but... "What is a...a X-Xe...Xenomorph?" asked Ember.

Kawazaki smiled. It wasn't a friendly one. "This way." He waved at Ember and walked to a door. Curious, Ember followed him through it and entered another room, this one considerably larger. Chained up in the room was a huge, scary-looking creature. And yet...despite its...no, _her_...scary looks, Ember wasn't afraid. In fact...she felt a strange connection with the creature.

She was about ten feet tall and covered in a strong black exoskeleton, not unlike the armorlike exoskeleton on Ember's arms and legs. She also had a segmented tail with a large blade on the end, like Ember's. The Queen (Ember instinctively knew she was the Queen) had a large, bony crest, as well as four arms.

The Queen growled as Ember approached. Somehow, she knew the Queen wasn't sure what to make of her.

_What are you, little creature?_ the Queen asked. She didn't speak as humans did, but in growls and hisses. And _Ember understood her!_

Ember spoke back, somehow knowing how to speak to the Queen: _I do not know. I am part human, and Xenomorph, and Predator._

The Queen hissed. _I know _that_,_ she said. She silently observed Ember for a moment. _I sense you are of my blood. But you are also a Hive-Killer. _

_"Hive-Killer"?_ said Ember. _You mean the Predator?_

_Yes_, said the Queen with obvious hatred. _They enslave Queens and kill Drones and Warriors. They are evil creatures. As are the ones called Humans._

_The Humans are evil, too?_ asked Ember.

The Queen let out a deep growl of disgust. _Yes. They enslaved me, like a Hunter. Why are you obeying them? They are foul creatures. You should not trust them. I heard your cries. Why do you serve them when they hurt you?_

Ember hesitated. She barely registered that the scientists were watching her communicate with the Queen, obviously intrigued. _I...I do not know. I have to. They said they made me...to be a weapon..._

_So they will use you for their own gain_, said the Queen. _You are stronger than them. You could kill them and be free, and free me as well. _

_I..._ said Ember but Kawazaki interrupted her.

"Come," he said.

Ember hesitated, then slowly backed away from the Queen and followed.

The Queen shrieked in frusteration. _Do not obey! You will regret it! _As Ember left the room, she roared. _Remember what I said, little one! They will hurt you and use you! Do not let them!_

Ember followed Kingston and Kawazaki back to the training room. She kept training, her mind reeling from her meeting with the Queen. Were the humans evil? And was the Predator?

And the most important question: Should she follow the Queen's advice and kill the humans?

For the first time, Ember realized she had choices in life. She could decide what to do with the life the humans had given her. But would she continue to obey? Or would she follow the Queen.

_What am I going to do_?

...

Please review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I certainly liked writing it! Look out for the next chapter, and tell me what you think! :3


	9. 8: MEETING

Author Note: I do not and never will own Aliens/Predators. Sorry for the long wait guys, but I've been busy lately. I was going to wait until tomorrow to write this because I have a freaking headache but I'll deal with it and give you guys another chapter to read. Also, I did a 24 One-Shots in 24 hours thing with my bestest friend HannahBananaMcKenzie, so if you like Maximum Ride, go read it. Man, I was freaking tired after doing that...*shudder* And I'm sure you'll be interested to know that Ember is actually in a few chapters of that story. Again sorry for the wait.

Side note: I will be going to California on July 25, and will be gone for at least two weeks.

Another side note: I broke my toe. :( First time I ever broke a bone, too...It sucks eggs, people!

Anways, let's get on with it!

8: MEETING

LAR'JA-THWEI slowly returned to consciousness, aware of a dull pain in his belly and head.

_What happened...?_ he thought, then cringed at his stupidity when the memory came back. _Idiot!_ he roared at himself. He'd dropped his guard and allowed himself to be captured by...by _Oomans_! Of all the stupid things to do...

Lar'ja-thwei growled, then forced himself to calm down. Raging at the situation wasn't going to help at all. He had to remain calm if he was going to escape.

Escape? How was that going to be possible? Even if he got out of the lab, the Oomans would search the island for him. He had no weapons and the primitive weapons he'd fashioned wouldn't hold off all the Oomans. He'd have to kill every one of them on the island. He was a powerful hunter, yes, and the Oomans were weak. But he couldn't fight off all of them! Maybe if he stole weapons from them...but they'd probably kill him before he got a chance.

Determined to find a way out of the mess he'd created for himself, Lar'ja-thwei surveyed his surroundings. He was in a see-through but strong-looking chamber, as tall as the large room and as wide. There were several Oomans in the room, but none of them were paying much attention to him at the moment. He thought none of them were armed, until he noticed two warrior Oomans standing at each door.

Four armed Oomans to fight, if he could get out of the chamber. And the others would certainly summon more warriors...Lar'ja-thwei had no idea how many Oomans there were on the entire island. He knew he was outnumbered, that was for sure.

Another Ooman entered the room and walked right over to Lar'ja-thwei. The Ooman wasn't physically impressive-average height and build, not very muscular-but he held himself proudly. He studied Lar'ja-thwei closely, how fought the urge to try and break out so he could break the Ooman.

The Ooman watching him said something to someone nearby. Lar'ja-thwei wished he could understand what they said as they talked. However, he'd never learned their language, though he'd had plenty of opportunity to do so. He'd never thought it was important to speak Ooman, even if there were advantages to doing so.

Well...he'd find out what they wanted with him soon enough...

For the first time since his exile, Lar'ja-thwei was glad he had no technology other than his mask. Putting Yautja technology in the hands of them would be catastrophic. Still, losing even his mask was a grave error. Hell, being _captured_, for Cetanu's sake was grave!

The Ooman standing in front of him must have sent the other on an errand, because after relaying what seemed to be an order, the other Ooman left. The first one returned his gaze to Lar'ja-thwei, who glared silently back. He was mildly impressed that the Ooman wasn't afraid. Still, Lar'ja-thwei _was_ trapped. What really bothered the Yautja was the fact that the Ooman didn't look very surprised at seeing him. It was like he'd seen Yautja before...

Soon enough, the other Ooman returned, accompanied by two other Oomans...and the most bizarre creature Lar'ja-thwei had ever seen.

It...no, _she_...was easily a _nok_ taller than Lar'ja-thwei, and _she was part Yautja!_ From the looks of it, she was even part _kainde amedha_ and Ooman as well. Yautja dreadlocks, height, skin, and eyes..._kainde amedha_ arms, legs, and tail...and a Ooman face and body. A cold pit formed in Lar'ja-thwei's belly at the sight of her. He realized...he was afraid of what she was. He wondered if the Oomans had something to do with this...this abomination.

The creature looked at him with interest. She said something to him in the Ooman language, but, of course, he didn't understand.

"What are you, devil?" he growled at her in his own language.

Imagine his surprise when she responded, in perfect Yautja, "I am Ember. I am part Human, Predator, and Xenomorph."

"You speak my language? How?" Lar'ja-thwei demanded.

He was hardly aware that the Oomans were watching them talk with interest. All he cared about was getting answers from this...Ember creature.

"I do not know," said Ember simply. "I...just do. Like I can speak to the Xenomorph Queen."

"Xenomorph?" said Lar'ja-thwei, the alien word coming out strangely accented. "You must mean the _kainde amedha._ Where did you meet a Queen?"

"Here," said Ember, pointing to the door closeby them. "She speaks to me. And I speak to you." She looked puzzled. "You are a Predator?"

"No," he snarled. "I am Yautja. But what are you?"

Now she was even more confused. "I told you. I am part..."

"Did the Oomans have something to do with you?" demanded Lar'ja-thwei.

She nodded. "They made me."

So. The Oomans had created Ember after all. But how did they make her part Yautja? Lar'ja-thwei assumed they must have gotten their hands on a different Yautja. _What if...that ship that went missing on N'ithya...the one that never returned...it was carrying a Queen. It would make sense_, Lar'ja-thwei thought. _And they used the DNA to make this creature. But that also means...they have access to Yautja technology!_ Which meant his mask meant nothing. If they indeed had an entire ship of their technology...Lar'ja-thwei didn't want to think about it.

A sudden thought occured to Lar'ja-thwei. "What did they make you for?"

"I...I am a weapon," she said slowly. She put her head to one side. "Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who _I_ am," said Lar'ja-thwei. "Tell me, _Ember_, was it you who was screaming like a demon?"

Ember flinched. "Y-yes. You heard me?"

"I'm sure every living thing on the island heard you," said Lar'ja-thwei dryly. "It was the Oomans, wasn't it?" When she confirmed it, he said, "Why are you here with them, then? Because they made you? Oomans are dishonorable. You cannot trust them."

"The Queen said that," stated Ember. "She said that you are a killer, too. I...I do not know who to trust. The Queen hates you and Humans...you hate Humans...Humans made me..." She shook her head, obviously distressed.

Lar'ja-thwei didn't reply. He barely noticed when Ember was led away by the other Oomans, or that two of them stayed and talked right in front of him. Who was this creature? She seemed so...so much like a pup! Yet, she was obviously powerful. And she'd been created by Oomans.

So many questions burned in his mind. But what was bothering him even more was the fact the he was now completely certain that the Oomans had gotten the ship and from its contents had made Ember. They had created her from his race and a _kainde amedha _Queen. She was to be a weapon. And the Oomans may very well use the Yautja technology. Not good at all.

But what was Lar'ja-thwei to do about it? He was a Badblood stuck on N'ithya. He had no way of contacting the Clan. And even if he did...who would listen to him?

Suddenly, a crazy idea formed in Lar'ja-thwei's mind. It was insane...risky...but it was the only way.

When his brother came looking for him (oh, Lar'ja-thwei _knew_ that _pauk-de_ scum would!), he would kill him as he planned...and take his ship. He'd have a way to contact the Elders.

They probably wouldn't believe him, would probably send someone to kill Lar'ja-thwei...but the Clan had to be warned.

All he had to do was wait.

...

TRANSLATIONS

Kainde amedha: Hard meat (Xenomorph)

Pauk-de: Fucker or fucking (pauk means fuck)

...

Please review! Yes, I probably will be making a Yautja-English dictionary, just so that I don't have to put a translation section at the bottom of each page. Let's make my life a bit easier, yes?

Also, I wrote about half of this but the freaking headache got worse, so I stopped. Later I took meds and slept a bit and felt better. Now it's 2:14 A.M. and I couldn't sleep so I figured what the hell. I might as well write. I hope you liked this chapter, and again, sorry for the long wait.

ALSO...WHO HERE SAW PROMETHEUS? I have two questions for you...

#1: DID YOU LOVE IT? I freaking did! It was amazingly spectacular fantastic...whew...It was great, let's go with that XD

#2: What do you think was the deal with the Engineer dude at the beginning who freaking killed himself by drinking the black stuff? I got some theories but I need someone else's thoughts on the matter. Anyone?

So...my theories...

1: He committed suicide.

2: He was testing the crap to see if it could be used to kill humans. Since they have the same DNA, if it killed them, it could kill humans, too.

Here's my other thoughts on the movie...

1: The "Engineers" really didn't make us. I think that we're just related.

2: The deal with them wanting to destroy us...I believe that they were being killed off by the Xenos because they make good hosts for them. They knew about us and our similar DNA so they knew that we, too make excellent Xeno hosts. So that's why they want to exterminate us. To stop Xenos from using humans to reproduce/spread.

Again, these are just my theories. While I think they did an excellent job of setting a background for Alien (like the Xeno at the end of the movie...I think she is a Queen who started turning the planet into an Alien hive), it also raised other questions. Also, does anyone else think or want them to make a movie about the scientist lady finding the rest of the "Engineers"? I think it would make an awesome movie and seperate storyline. You know, if they don't kill her immediately. Which they probably would in which case there would be no movie at all. Like, hey I found them...kill her on the spot...movie over. A minute long.

Yes, I know this Author Note is freaking long but I have a lot to say on the subject of Prometheus. Plus...I cannot freaking sleep at the moment...

Anyways, review please! And I need answers, so let's be Alien fanatics and discuss these and other questions, yes? REVIEW AND GIVE ME SOME GOOD THEORIES!

Suggestions, comments, constructive criticism...all the stuff, as always, appreciated...

See ya later, gators! Well, not really but you know what I mean...

Good Lord I sound like Nudge right now...Jeez...Goodbye peoples!


	10. 9: PREPARATIONS

Author Note: I don't own Aliens or Predators. Never will. Thanks for reading and reviewing Ember. It's a lot of fun for me to write this and I'm glad you peoples are enjoying it! This story is nearly as popular as my first story Predator: Apocalypse. So thanks for all the views! Also, keep in mind that I will be going to California on the 25th and, like I said before, won't update during that time. When I get back from CA, I'll be in school, which means updates about once a week. Sorry for that but please bear with me. I'll probably only manage about one chapter a week, mostly because I'm taking an AP class for the first time and will probably have a crap-ton of homework from that class :P The things I do to get into a good college... XD Enjoy!

9: PREPARATIONS

SAIN'JA began gathering his armor and weapons, preparing for his hunt. This was no ordinary hunt-his prey was his brother, Lar'ja-thwei. Sain'ja smirked as he imagined taking his brother's skull as a trophy. Killing a Badblood would earn him much honor, but that was only an added bonus of getting rid of Lar'ja-thwei.

The truth was, he hardly cared about the honor he'd gain from killing a "murderer". Sain'ja simply hated his brother, and had hated him for his whole life.

Sain'ja, from the moment he was born, had always lived in Lar'ja-thwei's shadow. Sain'ja was small for a Yautja and had stayed small his entire life. He was barely taller than an Ooman! He was pushed around by everyone for his small size, had to fight for his survival and for respect, which he got from no one. Least of all Lar'ja-thwei. His brother was big and strong, tall for a male, and broad as well. He excelled at hunting, needed no one to accompany him. Other males respected him (some, grudgingly), and females liked the powerful hunter.

Sain'ja didn't respect him, and didn't like him in the least. He was tired of living in his brother's shadow. To everyone else (especially Lar'ja-thwei), Sain'ja was just a runt, while his brother was an honored hunter. Even his own mother had thought Sain'ja was weak. She had hoped that being of his sire's blood (the sire he and Lar'ja-thwei both shared) would have made him big and strong, just like Lar'ja-thwei. But he was a runt, and a runt he would always be.

Well, enough was enough. Sain'ja may be small, but he was cunning and sly. He was smarter than Lar'ja-thwei, and his plan was working perfectly. Framing Lar'ja-thwei for the murder of Dto (yet another bonus to his plan-Dto constantly tormented Sain'ja for his size and had greatly respected his brother and sire) had gotten him branded a Badblood and banished, just as Sain'ja knew he would. He knew that, despite the fact that Lar'ja-thwei was left with no weapons, the other Yautja would be cautious about hunting him. He also knew that many of them doubted Lar'ja-thwei's guilt, and Sain'ja's alibi, Setg'-in. But the lack of hunters after Lar'ja-thwei would make it easier to make his brother his prey. And it would make Sain'ja's honor even greater, for taking down such a powerful Yautja.

Sain'ja donned his armor and readied his weapons, carefully checking to make sure he had everything he needed. When he was absolutely sure he did indeed have everything, he rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, then went to find Setg'in, who had agreed to accompany him.

Setg'-in, too, was a small Yautja. He was only slightly taller than Sain'ja, but was considerably broader. He lacked the cunning Sain'ja had, and admired him for his brains. He seemed to regard Sain'ja as his Leader, and had learned to hate Lar'ja-thwei as Sain'ja did.

Well, there would be honor enough for both of them.

Sain'ja quickly located Set'g-in, who was ready to go. Nodding at Sain'ja, Setg'-in silently followed him to the ship they'd be using to travel to N'ithya. For some reason, Sain'ja saw it fitting that his brother should die on the Ooman planet. After all, everyone knew how dishonorable _they_ were. Sain'ja entered the ship and immediately set a course for N'ithya at the navegation room.

Now, all he had to do was wait. Then the hunt would begin...

...

Please review! Hope you liked the latest chapter! :D


	11. YAUTJAENGLISH DICTIONARY

YAUTJA-ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Amedha: Meat

Awu'asa: Full body armor

Aseigan: Servant

Bakuub: Straight spear

Bpi-de: End

C'jit: Damn, shit, general expletive

C'ntlip: Intoxicating beverage

Ch'hkt-a: Hyperactive, nervous energy

Chiva: Trial, test

Cetanu: God of death

Da'dtou-di: Little Knife

Dachande: Different Knife (Broken Tusk)

Dhi'ki-de: Unconscious, coma

Dtai'kai-dte sa-de nau'gkon dtain'aun bpi-de: The fight begun would not end until the end

Dtai'k-de: Fight

Dt: Tree

Ell-osde: You

Ell-osde pauk: Fuck you

Gkei'moun: Easy, simple

Gkinmara: Video camera

Gkinmaru: Sensors (on a ship)

Gry'sui-bpe: Stampede

Guan: Night

Guan-thwei: Night Blood

H'chak: Mercy

H'dlack: Fear

H'ka-se: Now

H'sai-de: A scythe-like sword

Hulij-bpe: Crazy

Hult'ah Sentry, guard, observer

Hiju: Combat stance

Jehdin: One

Jehdin/Jehdin: One-on-one, hand-to-hand combat

Ka'rik'na: The Summoning (of other Yautja)

Kainde: Hard

Kainde Amedha: Hard Meat (Xenomorph)

Kainde Amedha Chiva: Hard Meat Trial

Kehrite: Training ground, arena

Kantra: Prayer

Ki its-pa: Spear

Ki'cti-pa: Wristblades

Ki'dte: Enough

Kv'var: Hunts, Excercises

Kwei: Sly, tricky

L'ulij-bpe: Mad, crazy

Lou-dte Kalei: Childmaker (derogatory name for a female, male insult)

M-di H'chak: No mercy

M-di H'dlak: No fear

Mei'hswei: Brother

Mesh'in'ga: The battle dreamtime

Mi: Fuel, oil

Mo: No (slang)

N'dui'de: Yautja musk/scent

Nain-de: Type of hunt

Nain-desintye-de: The Pure Win, absolute victory

Nain-de Than guan: Kiss of midnight, no mercy

Nan-ku: Alive

Naxa: Type of fruit

Nihkou-te: Tusk

Nok: Unit of measurement (approx. 13 inches)

Ooman: Human (slang)

Paya: God, conquering warrior

Payas leitjin-de hma'mi-de: Remember God's practice

Pauk: Fuck

PAuk-de: Fucker, fucking

Pyode: Soft

Pyode Amedha: Soft Meat (Human)

Rjet: Type of animal

S'pke: Fruit stew

S'yuit-de: Coward, pathetic, low and demeaning decription

Set'g-in: Quick and deadly

Tarei'hasan: Small insect, unworthy opponent

Te-dqi: Xenomorph secretion

Thei-de: Death, die, kill

Thin-de le'hasuan 'aloun'myin-del bpe-de gka-de hasau-de paya: Learn the gifts of all sights or finish in the dance of the fallen gods

Thwei: Blood

Tjau'ke: Packed dirt or dust, type of rock

Tyioe-ti: Escape pod

U'sl-kwe: Final Rest (death)

Ui'stibi: Geography

Yautja: Predator species

Yeyinde: Brave One

Z'skvy-de: Birth of Xenomorph from host, chestburster eruptive phase

Zabin: Type of insect

Zazin: Completely centered, within one's self


	12. 10: WHO AM I?

Author Note: I do not own Aliens/Predators and never will. Thank you all for reading and reviewing Ember! I appreciate the amount of views I've gotten and the wonderful reviews as well. Special thanks to Teshy, who reviews pretty much every chapter. :D On a side note, I've just registered as a Betareader, which I'm really excitred about. I've been meaning to for quite some time, but it slipped my mind. So, now that I'm an official Betareader, go ahead and ask me for my help. :) Enjoy the story!

10: WHO AM I?

EMBER sat on the floor in her "room", which was really just a large chamber made of strong glass. It was exactly like the Yautja's quarters, only bigger. She had been sitting there for nearly an hour, and had never been so still and silent for so long since she woke.

A week had passed since she'd met the Yautja (or Predator, as the Humans called him), and her mind was buzzing with questions. She wanted to talk to him and the Queen, but Kingston and Kawazaki wouldn't let her. She wondered why that was.

But she didn't only have questions for the Queen and the Yautja. There were also things she wanted to ask the Humans. Mostly about who she really was, and why they treated her the way they did.

Ember's mind had matured greatly over the past seven days. She now understood that to the Humans she wasn't an equal. But...why? They treated her as though she had no thoughts or feelings of her own. And Ember was beginning to wonder why she did obey them. The Queen and Yautja had gotten to her. Should she be letting the Humans control her? It was all very confusing to Ember. She was created by Humans. She was being trained by one, to fight for them. That much she understood. But she was also treated like...a tool. Something to be used.

Were the Queen and Yautja right? Should she kill the Humans?

Ember looked at her clawed hands. Hard black armor, long and thin fingers, and wicked claws. She imagined sinking them into the Humans' soft flesh. Ember knew that she was stronger and faster than the Humans. But the Humans had weapons. She'd seen what their...what was the word...? She puzzled over it until she remembered: guns. She'd seen what their guns can do.

But...Ember couldn't die. That much she knew. They could only hurt her, not kill her. She shuddered at the horrors she'd been through. They'd performed..."surgeries" on her, testing her healing abilities to the limit. Was there even a point to opening her up like that, other than testing her? She didn't think so. There was no other reason she could think of.

The fact that she was so strong and couldn't be killed by the Humans made her seriously think about what the two alien beings had told her. Especially since she'd gained more awareness of herself in the short time she had been awake. She now fully realized that she really could choose what she wanted to do.

And yet...she hadn't made any move to rebel against the Humans. She was so very confused.

_So, little one, have you been thinking about what I said?_

Ember nearly jumped-she heard the Queen's voice _in her head_!

Tentatively, she replied mentally, _I...I have..._ she said cautiously.

_You have grown, little one,_ said the Queen after a long moment of silence. _Yet here you are, unwilling to fight for your freedom._

Freedom. A word she knew but didn't understand. Something she'd never expirienced. _I'm just...confused. Not unwilling. But..._

_But nothing, _interrupted the Queen. _You should know that the Humans care nothing for you. _

_Do you...care about me?_ asked Ember.

_Of course,_ said the Queen with surprising warmth. _You _are_ of my blood, after all. And I take care of my own. Release me and together we can destroy the Humans. I will take care of you, and I will be able to rebuild my Hive, right here in this Human place._

Ember had to admit-it had a certain appeal to her. And the Queen seemed sincere about wanting to help her. _What about the Hunter?_

_What about him?_ said the Queen dismissively. _I'm sure he'd make an excellent host for one of my young._

Ember wondered what she meant but decided it was a question for another time. _I...I will think about it_, she replied hesitantly.

The Queen, she felt, was exasperated but didn't say anything about it. _Very well. But you must know that I am right. The Humans must be destroyed._

With that, she left Ember alone with her thoughts. Now, only one question burned in her brain.

"Who am I?"

...

Please review! Hope you like the story thus far and will look forward ro future chapters.

I'm going to take a leaf out of my friend's book and start doing a question and answer thing. Seems like fun to me.

So...question: Alien or Predator? Which is your favorite? Leave your answer in your review!

My answer: PREDATOR! I **love** Aliens but I'm more of a Predator gal at heart.


	13. 11: BLACKOUT

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews Ember. Sorry for the long wait on updates, but I've had a bit of writer's block, and I also have other stories to write along with this one. I'm working on three different stories at once, all from different fandoms, and one of them takes a long time to write (it's a novelization of Amnesia: the Dark Descent). And remember that on the 25th, I will be going on vacation, and will be unable to update while I'm in California. Also remember that once I'm back in school (when I get back from CA), I can only update about once a week. Sorry for this but I will do my best to keep my FanFiction updated. Enjoy!

11: BLACKOUT

LAR'JA-THWEI sat in his prison, even as, unknown to him, Ember and the Queen talked about the murder of the Oomans. Now that it was apparent that the Oomans wouldn't be killing him anytime soon, Lar'ja-thwei was restless. Bored, even. He refused to let his guard down, as he had so stupidly done in the jungle. He'd hardly slept at all in days. He was strong, but he couldn't keep going without resting. Still, whenever he closed his eyes and dozed off, he imagined the Oomans killing him (and worse things, much worse than death) and his amber-colored eyes would snap right back open.

Not sleeping also fueled his fierce temper. Lar'ja-thwei's blood boiled with rage at the smallest things. The Ooman who studied him often, for example. He had grown to despise the Ooman. Every time he came to watch him, Lar'ja-thwei fought to keep control, but ended up roaring with anger, trying to smash the prison confining him. However, even his immense strength couldn't break the see-through material. What was it called? Glass? Did it matter?

The Ooman would watch him with an expression akin to amusement, which only made Lar'ja-thwe more mad. Eventually, he'd tire himself out and the Ooman would leave. So it had been for the past seven N'ithya days.

Lar'ja-thwei wondered if he was going crazy. Would he even be sane when his brother showed up to finish his job? No, he _had_ to stay sane. He would _never_ let that runt kill him! He had to warn the Clan! Revenge and the stolen technology seemed to be the only thing that kept Lar'ja-thwei's head clear.

Then, there was the Ember creature he'd met. Should he tell the Clan about her, too? They'd most likely terminate her, which, for some reason, bothered Lar'ja-thwei. She seemed...innocent. Like a pup. But she was even more of an abomination than a Yautja-_kainde amedha_ hybrid. The Elders would surely order Lar'ja-thwei (or another hunter) to kill her. Despite the fact that Ember was part Ooman and _kainde amedha_, Lar'ja-thwei couldn't help but feel pity for her. After all, it wasn't her fault she was that way. And she was a young female. Lar'ja-thwei couldn't kill her for that.

Lar'ja-thwei was puzzling over his revenge and Ember when the Ooman he loathed came in and stood in front of him. Lar'ja-thwei narrowed his eyes and growled low in his throat, which, to his annoyance, didn't even faze the Ooman.

_It would faze him if I wasn't contained!_ Lar'ja-thwei snarled to himself. _I would tear out his spine and skull if I wasn't locked up. His skull wouldn't even make a good trophy!_

After a moment of simply looking at Lar'ja-thwei, the Ooman made a hand gesture. Several other Oomans, most armed with weapons, walked over. Two of them pushed a metal gurney with restraints. Lar'ja-thwei's growl grew louder. He stood, ready to fight, not liking this situation at all.

He heard a hissing noise, like gas being released. He looked around and realized that some kind of gas_ was_ being released into his prison! He snarled and held his breath, knowing it was either a sedative or something that would kill him. He held his breath for as long as he could, but he eventually had to breathe.

The single, large breath he took made him feel dizzy. Forgetting that he needed to hold his breath, he kept breathing. Unable to stand, he slumped against the walls of the glass room he was being kept in, his vision fading. The last thought he had before blacking out was that he had failed as a Yautja hunter.

...

Please review! Thanks for reading, and sorry if you thought it was short.

So...question: Who's your favorite AVP character (from any species)?

My answer: DACHANDE! Most. Awesome. Yautja. Ever.

Leave your answer in a review!


	14. 12: THE HUNT IS ON

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Sorry if the last few chapters weren't as good as previous ones. I've had a terrible case of writer's block lately...and I just don't feel as creative as I was when I was starting out. Also, it doesn't help that in a week I'm going to California and am so excited I keep forgetting to write...sigh. :/ But please be patient with me and if you have any suggestions for the story, do share them! I really am doing my best to write good chapters often enough, so bear with me, everyone. Enjoy!

12: THE HUNT IS ON

SAIN'JA crouched in the thick undergrowth just outside the Ooman building, carefully scanning the area. His brother was in there somewhere-he just knew it. He'd searched the entire island with Setg'-in and hadn't found him, only a trace of a half-finished camp in the hills. Which left the Ooman complex. Unless his brother had decided to swim all the way to the mainland, a feat no Yautja was capable of, from this far away.

Captured by Oomans! How weak his brother was! Just wait until the Clan heard _this_ hunting tale! The great Lar'ja-thwei, banished to N'ithya, and captured by weakling Oomans. It made Sain'ja want to roar with laughter...but that would alert the Oomans to his presence. He wouldn't be a fool, like Lar'ja-thwei. He simply couldn't wait to gloat. Soon, Sain'ja would be recognized as a better warrior than _he_ ever was!

"Sain'ja," said Setg'-in.

Sain'ja shifted his gaze to his comrade, whose own gaze was fixed on a certain point in the building. "Have you found him?" he asked.

Setg'-in gave a curt nod and jerked his chin in the direction he was looking. Following his line of sight, Sain'ja spotted Lar'ja-thwei's large heat signature. He was being transported by Oomans through the building. He appeared to be unconscious; he wasn't struggling. Sain'ja smirked behind his mask. He wondered what the Oomans were going to do to him. Part of him wanted to stay and watch, to savor the sight before him-Lar'ja-thwei at the mercy of the _pyode amedha!_

However, if the Oomans were going to kill Lar'ja-thwei, he would have to go now, before they had a chance. His brother's life belonged to _him_! It was a risk he knew he couldn't afford to take.

"Let's go," he said to Setg'-in.

He moved out, invisible, toward the building, Setg'-in silently following. Every time they saw a Ooman, they crouched and stayed still, so they wouldn't alert the creature with any noise. Luckily, there weren't _too_ many of them outside-just two at every entrance, armed with their primitive projectile weapons, as well as a few driving around the outside doing whatever it was the strange beings did.

Sain'ja and Setg'-in silently approached an entrance and swiftly slayed the Oomans guarding it by breaking their fragile necks. The Oomans went down without a sound, unable to fight back or sound an alarm. Sain'ja longed to take an Ooman skull as a trophy (or whatever reason the _pyode amedha_ were considered highly honorable to kill), but he had to find his intended prey. He could pick up a few Ooman trophies later.

The hallway they entered was empty, but they stayed cautious. Running quietly, they made their way through the complex, staying locked onto Lar'ja-thwei's heat signature.

"Wait!" hissed Sain'ja in an undertone, coming to a halt.

Setg'-in looked at him, head to one side, then at Lar'ja-thwei. He then saw what made Sain'ja stop short. It looked as though the Oomans intended to cut him open!

Sain'ja growled. "Forget stealth! We need to get to him, Setg'-in."

They blasted a large hole in the ceiling and pulled themselves up, then quickly got on the move. Any second now, the Oomans would come to investigate the noise. They crashed through walls, scaring the Oomans into a panic. The warriors shot at them, but missed the fast Yautja. A...bullet, was it called?...grazed Sain'ja's shoulder, but he didn't pay attention to the sting. All his focus was on reaching his brother.

At long last, they reached the room with Lar'ja-thwei, just as an Ooman was touching a knife to his chest. Startled by the wall breaking open and by the presence of two Yautja, the Ooman dropped the knife and ran. The rest of the Oomans, screaming, followed him, yelling, Sain'ja assumed, for help.

He approached Lar'ja-thwei, who appeared to be in deep sleep, lying on a table. The bigger Yautja was snarling slighly in his sleep, mandibles twitching.

"Let's release him into the jungle, then hunt him down," Sain'ja said.

Setg'-in shrugged as if to say "whatever you say", then slung Lar'ja-thwei over his shoulder.

The two of them went back the way they came, only this time, they had more Ooman warriors to deal with.

"Onto the roof!" ordered Sain'ja.

Blasting open the ceiling, they made their escape. There were two...helicopters?...hovering above the building. Sain'ja and Setg'-in shot at the drivers through the glass that protected them, breaking it and killing the Oomans inside. The helicopters spiraled out of control, crashing. The resulting explosion shook the building.

"Let's go," said Sain'ja.

They made their way to the jungle, leaping off the roof. A few Oomans shot at them, but missed. Sain'ja and Setg'-in didn't stop until they'd reached their ship, sitting on the far side of the island. Setg'-in dropped Lar'ja-thwei on the ground, rolling his shoulder.

"Setg'-in, behind you!" barked Sain'ja.

The hunter started to turn but a pair of powerful clawed hands grabbed either side of his head and twisted it violently to one side, breaking his neck with an audible _snap_! Setg'-in crumpled to the ground, much like the Ooman guards had when he and Sain'ja had broken _their_ necks.

"I knew you would come, Sain'ja," snarled Lar'ja-thwei. His expression was one of such fierce rage, it bordered on madness. "I knew it."

Sain'ja smirked, though he knew Lar'ja-thwei couldn't see it. "Really. Glad to see me? I'm here to finish the job_, brother_."

Lar'ja-thwei snatched up Set'g-in's spear. He grinned, mandibles spread wide, then roared a challenge to Sain'ja. "The only one who's going to finished anything here is _me_!" he declared.

The two charged, each seeking to end the other's life.

...

Please review! I think this chapter turned out better than previous ones. And...**cliffhanger**! Aren't I a despicable being? :D

Question: Favorite movie in the Predator/Alien/AVP series?

Mine: PREDATOR!

Leave your answer in a review!


	15. 13: FIRST ASSIGNMENT

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks for reading and reviewing Ember, everyone! It's my most popular story on FanFiction, so I appreciate all the views (as of right now, I have 2,353 views on Ember for this month). As you all know, I'm going to Long Beach on Wednesday, so this chapter will be the last chapter you'll get until I get back. Sorry for that, but it's time for my vacation! Enjoy!

13: FIRST ASSIGNMENT

THE lab was buzzing with activity. From the shouts of the scientists and soldiers running around in a panic, she gathered that the lab had been attacked. And the attackers were Predators. She watched the Humans go about shouting and running through the building.

After a while, she learned that the Predators had killed several people and taken the Yautja she'd met from the lab. Most of them seemed to think that they'd come to rescue him. For some reason, Ember wasn't sure about that. She didn't know why she felt that way, so she tried to ignore the feeling with little success.

Suddenly, she heard the Queen's voice in her head: _Quick, little one! While they're distracted, free yourself and me!_

Ember hesitated. She still wasn't sure what to do. She felt she wanted freedom, and to live with the Queen. But…did she really want to be a killer? Did she want to murder everyone in the lab? She knew she was being trained to be a weapon…to kill people…but she wasn't sure if killing was what she wanted.

_Little one_, said the Queen. _I'm trying to be patient. But you must understand that a life with the Humans is not one that you want. If you don't want to kill, escape into the air vents and come to me that way. I can take over the lab myself._

Ember sensed the Queen was getting restless. She had a chance to be free, with her help, but she was too hesitant to fight against the Humans. She thought the Queen _must_ really care about her, to be so patient with her.

She was about to say something to the Queen when Kingston and Kawazaki came into her chambers, as agitated as the other Humans in the lab.

"Ember, come with us," said Kingston. She turned, not even waiting to see if Ember would follow.

Ember hesitated. Should she follow? Or escape and release the Queen?

"You heard Dr. Kingston," said Kawazaki, adjusting his glasses on his face. "Come on."

Ember almost sighed as she got up to follow the two Humans. _I'm sorry,_ Ember said miserably. _I…I will try to free you soon_.

The Queen was silent for a long moment. Just as Ember thought she would reply at all, she said, _See that you do, Ember. You will never be happy or free if you continue to let the Humans enslave you._

The doctors led Ember to a room with a large device (a computer, she remembered) and a table with a dozen chairs around it. She wondered what they wanted with her, but knew she'd find out soon enough.

"It's time you started to use your skills, Ember," said Kingston, not wasting any time. She fixed Ember with a stern gaze. "Today, this lab was attacked by two Predators. They came and took our Predator with them."

She nodded. She already knew this and wondered where this was going.

"We have a job for you," Kawazaki said. "You will search the island, and find the Predators. If they're still here, bring them to the lab dead or alive. If they're gone, report back here."

"Do you understand?" asked Kingston in her short-tempered manner.

Ember did understand, but she found she was uneasy with her task. She wasn't afraid of the Predators, but this was the first time she would be out of the lab. And the first time she was given a job by the Humans. She didn't know what to expect. What if the Predators were still here, and she failed?

No. She knew she could fail. Ember knew that she could kill the Predators, and they did say that she could bring them in dead…but was she really a killer?

"Yes," said Ember after a moment of silence. She decided that for now, it would be best to do as she was told. And then, she would finally follow the Queen's advice, and free her.

_Good, Ember_, said the Queen with warm approval. _Let them think you are obedient. They will not expect you to rebel once you earn their trust._

It was then Ember knew she was making the right choice. She would free the Queen, then be free herself. But first, she had a job to do.

It was time to hunt the hunter.

…

Please review! Hope you liked it, and I really am sorry that you won't get any new chapters for a while. But we all need a vacation, don't we? As always, comments and suggestions are always welcome. See you all later.

But first, here's a question for you: AVP books, movies, or comics? Which is your favorite?

My answer: As much as I love the movies, I love the AVP books starring Machiko Noguchi even more.

Leave your answer in a review!


	16. 14: CLASH

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. What's up, everybody? I'm finally back from California, which means school...and FanFiction. Sorry for the long wait, but now you'll get your story updates. Unfortunately, since I'm in school, I can only do so about once a week, as I previously mentioned. Just started my junior year in high school, and it's good so far. But the first week is always kinda boring. I _did_ get a homework assignment on my first day...bummer. It _is_ an Honors class, though, so I guess I should have expected that...Anyways, glad to be back, and glad to be writing again. I admit I didn't exactly do a lot of brainstorming in Long Beach, but would you choose to concentrate on: an ocean beach or writing? Just kidding. I really do love it. And it helps keep me sane. Thanks for waiting (patiently, I hope), and enjoy!

14: CLASH

LAR'JA-THWEI finally allowed his rage, frusteration and deep loathing to fill his mind, blocking out everything but the thought that Sain'ja was finally here. Finally, he had a chance to seek revenge. He was ready to kill the traitorous Sain'ja. Sain'ja, it seemed, was as ready to kill Lar'ja-thwei as he was to slay him.

Still...something nagged at the back of Lar'ja-thwei's mind. Why did Sain'ja get him banished in the first place? And why did he want to kill him? He'd always known that Sain'ja, for whatever reason, had hated his half-brother, but why?

Now was not the time to ask.

Sain'ja leapt at Lar'ja-thwei, who stood his ground, bracing himself for Sain'ja's attack. Sain'ja slammed into Lar'ja-thwei and tried to stab him. Swiftly dodging the dagger Sain'ja held, Lar'ja-thwei grabbed the arm Sain'ja was using to fight and twisted the limb behind his back, forcing him to drop the dagger, which Lar'ja-thwei promptly scooped up. Lar'ja-thwei then kicked Sain'ja in the small of his back, sending the smaller warrior face-first into the dirt.

Sain'ja heaved himself to his feet, his mask cracked and dented from the impact of the fall. A thin line of glowing green blood trickled from under it, and Lar'ja-thwei knew from the dent in the right side of his mask that at least one of Sain'ja's mandibles was broken. He knew how painful a broken mandible was and was glad that his hated brother should suffer before his death.

Growling deep in his throat, Sain'ja ripped the mask off his face, revealing two snapped mandibles a few cracked fangs. He snarled at Lar'ja-thwei and snatched a spear from his belt, extending his weapon. Lar'ja-thwei tightened his grip on his two stolen weapons. He _wanted_ Sain'ja to be able to fight back, which was why he waited for his brother to arm himself. He wanted to fight more, to make Sain'ja suffer pain as he never had before. But...his deep-rooted sense of honor compelled him to let Sain'ja have a chance to defend himself. It would be slaughter otherwise.

Not missing a beat, Sain'ja again charged Lar'ja-thwei, who sidestepped to Sain'ja's left. To his immense surprise, Sain'ja seemed to anticipate the move...and managed to stab Lar'ja-thwei through his upper arm and shoulder, clear through muscle, bone, and tendons. His left arm now useless, the dagger dropped to the ground.

Lar'ja-thwei bit back a roar of agony. Though blinded by pain, he avoided Sain'ja's next attack, then blocked the one after with the shaft of Setg'-in's spear. The following slash grazed Lar'ja-thwei's belly, opening a shallow cut.

_No!_ Lar'ja-thwei screamed mentally. _I refuse to lose to this Badblood!_

Fueled by his desire to kill the traitor, Lar'ja-thwei summoned all of his strength and snatched the shaft of Sain'ja's spear, then ripped it out of his hands. The short Yautja stumbled off balance momentarily, during which Lar'ja-thwei dropped Setg'-in's spear, adjusted his grip on Sain'ja's weapon, and ran it through Sain'ja's belly.

Sain'ja roared in pain and dropped to his knees. But Lar'ja-thwei wasn't finished with the weakling yet. He grabbed the spear stuck in Sain'ja's stomach and tore it out of him, planting a foot on Sain'ja's chest as he did so, pushing him onto his back with a _thud_. Sain'ja tried to fight back but was weak from the wound in his abdomen. Lar'ja-thwei increased the pressure of his foot on Sain'ja's chest until he felt the bones start to crack, then eased up slightly so Sain'ja wouldn't die just yet.

Lar'ja-thwei placed the sharp blade of the spear on the underside of Sain'ja's jaw. Sain'ja glared at him with hatred, but his rage was mostly hidden behind the agony in his expression.

"You should have known you couldn't beat me, _brother_," spat Lar'ja-thwei. "You should have never plotted against me. Now, you die as a Badblood."

Sain'ja growled. "_You_ will die!"

He again tried to fight. Lar'ja-thwei uttered another roar, and moved his foot from Sain'ja's chest, bringing it down on Sain'ja's arm, splitting the bone with an audible _crack_! Without missing a beat, Lar'ja-thwei used the blade of his spear to slice off the skin bearing Sain'ja's Clan marking.

Lar'ja-thwei was done torturing Sain'ja. It was time for him to die.

He raised his spear and was about to plunge it right into Sain'ja's heart when a voice cried out:

"Wait!"

Lar'ja-thwei, recognizing the voice, froze and turned in the direction of the speaker. He momentarily forgot about his brother.

The speaker was Ember, the Oomans' living weapon. She had come for him.

Lar'ja-thwei growled and put the spear blade at Sain'ja's throat again. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Ember took as step toward them, drawing a deep breath as she did so. "The Humans are looking for you. They sent me to bring you to them, dead or alive."

Lar'ja-thwei snarled and slammed the spear into Sain'ja's throat, severing the base of his spine. It killed him instantly, a merciful fate for a traitor.

Ripping the spear from his half-brother's corpse, Lar'ja-thwei faced Ember, who looked confused and somewhat frightened by his killing Sain'ja.

"I'm not going back to the Oomans," stated Lar'ja-thwei. "And you cannot make me, _abomination_."

She stood there silently, waiting for his next move. Enraged at her indifference (did she not know who he was? What he was capable of?), Lar'ja-thwei charged at the Chimaera, ready to kill.

...

Please review! Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter. I liked writing it, so I hope you like reading it. I'm tired after my first week back at school, so I'm signing off until next time.

Before I do...

Question: Favorite Ember character?

My answer: Lar'ja-thwei. He's vicious!

Leave your answer in a review!


	17. 15: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Sorry for the long wait, but unfortunately it's something you'll have to get used to. Please be patient with me. I'm busy during the school year, plus I'm going to try and get a job, so I may not always be able to update regularly. I will try to do so at least once a week. Also, sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, but that's just how I roll sometimes. ;) Enjoy! Side note: Today is my birthday! :D

15: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

EMBER braced herself for Lar'ja-thwei's attack, taking the force of his charge while using her tail blade to protect her body from his spear. She quickly side-stepped and planted a kick in Lar'ja-thwei's side. The Predator growled as he was pushed several feet, readjusting his grip on his weapon.

_Should I kill him?_ thought Ember as she dodged his next charge. _Or try and capture him?_

It certainly seemed that Lar'ja-thwei was ready to kill, so shouldn't Ember do the same? He didn't want anything to do with the Humans, and obviously would prefer death to imprisonment. Either way, Ember had to bring him to the Humans. She had to earn their trust, then free her Queen.

An idea occured to Ember. She didn't want to kill Lar'ja-thwei, but if she knocked him out, she wouldn't have to. As much as she didn't want him to be imprisoned, she knew she had to get the Humans to trust her. It wasn't much of a plan, but she decided it would have to do.

Ember ducked as Lar'ja-thwei ran at her again, using his momentum to throw him down, then, when he tried to get up, she slammed his head into the ground. He went still and for a moment Ember thought she had used too much of her strength (she had certainly not held back) and killed him, but to her relief, he was breathing. He was unconscious, like she wanted.

_Sorry_, she thought. _But I have to help the Queen. Maybe I can free you later._

For now, all she could do was finish her mission. With a sigh, she hefted the Predator up onto her shoulder and started running, her long legs taking her several feet with every stride. Ember loved to run, and not on a treadmill in the lab. She loved this freedom in the jungle, the sunlight and fresh air that didn't smell like it was sterilized. She even liked the trees and the earth beneath her clawed feet.

_When you free me, you can run around the jungle all you want, Ember_, said the Queen. _And do not feel sorry for the hunter. They are evil._

_Because they hunt you_? asked Ember, remembering what the Queen had told her.

She sensed the Queen hissing. _Yes. But for right now, focus on the Humans instead of the hunter. Don't forget to free me_.

Ember wouldn't. Her resolve was set. She'd finally had a taste of freedom, and now couldn't understand why the Humans wanted to take that from anyone. She wanted more of this freedom. She knew what to do now. She would help the Queen.

It didn't take long for her to reach the lab, where Kawazaki and Kingston were waiting.

"Is the Predator alive?" asked Kingston, seeing him slung over Ember's shoulder.

"Yes."

She seemed pleased. "Bring him here."

Ember followed Kingston, Kawazaki walking alongside her.

"I must say I'm impressed, 159," Kawazaki said. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon, or for the Predator to still be alive. You're quite the efficient soldier."  
Ember didn't know what to say. No one had ever complimented her before. Luckily, Kawazaki didn't seem to expect her to say anything, so she maintained her silence.

Kingston led her to the room with the Predator's glass chamber prison. Ember could feel the Queen's presence in the next room and was again reminded of her goal: freedom.

She watched as Lar'ja-thwei was again locked up and let herself be led to her own room. Tonight, she decided. Tonight she would free the Queen.

Then she would be free.

...

Please review. Sorry if it's crappy but I'm tired and have a bit of writer's block. Hope it's okay. :)

Question: (For those of you who have read my story Predator: Apocalypse) Are you ready for Alliance of the Gods? What are you looking forward to and what are you hoping for in the story?

My answer: Don't have one! I don't wanna give away anything and I want your opinions.

Leave your answer in a review!


	18. 16: VENGEANCE

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. I know I haven't updated regularly in a long time and I'm really sorry about that. But please try to bear with me. I'm busy on weekdays and only have time to update on weekends. I will try to post as much as possible, though. And sorry about how short the last chapter was. It was a little rushed to be honest. Anyways, enjoy!

16: VENGEANCE

EMBER sat quietly in her quarters, staying on her best behavior. She looked like she was doing nothing, but in truth, her mind was busy. She was planning her escape.

The Queen was giving her instructions, and how best to escape and free her. Advice such as _Take the air vents_ or _Find and destroy all of the security cameras_ filled Ember's mind. With her sharp senses, she quickly picked out the locations of every nearby camera. She located an air shaft she could get into, then follow to the Queen. She knew she wouldn't get lost-she could follow the Queen's presence through the maze-like vents to her.

But first, she would wait for nighttime, when most of the humans were asleep. She wondered what would happen once the Queen was freed. Yes, she would try to spare as many humans as possible, as hosts for her young. She would turn the lab into a Hive. But how would the humans react? What if more humans came, and killed the Queen? And what would happen to Ember?

_You're worrying too much, little one_, said the Queen with surprising warmth in her "voice". _Let more humans come. I will kill and trap them all. Once my Hive is established and I have warriors and drones to defend the Hive, the humans won't be able to stop me. They enslaved me only because I was near death when they found me. They will likely underestimate me, which puts them at a disadvantage. Not to mention, they think they have you under control. Which will seal their doom._

_What will you do with the Hunter?_ asked Ember, curious.

Hot rage flooded the Queen's mind, making Ember shrink away from their connection._ He shall die. The Hunters are evil. They kill my kind, destroy Hives, and enslave Queens, and only for the thrill of hunting. They are as bad as the humans. _Sensing that Ember was unsure about the Predator's fate, she said, _You do not know how they really are, Ember. If you did, you would surely hate them, just as you hate the humans. _She was silent for a moment, then said,_ Rest for a while. I will wake you at nightfall._

Ember wearily acknowledged her and closed her eyes. She curled up on the floor with her tail wrapped around her tall, slim body. As she started to fall asleep, she asked herself, did she really hate the humans?

To her surprise, she didn't have an answer for herself.

...

_Wake, Ember. It is time._

Ember immediately opened her eyes, alert and ready. A quick glance around revealed only two humans guarding her, and no one else around. Silently, she went to one corner of the room, which had the first of the miniature cameras observing her.

_I have to do this quickly_, she thought. _Before someone sends more warriors to stop me_.

She sliced the camera to fragments with a flick of her claws. Going to the other cameras, she dispatched them as well. She spared another second to make sure the guards didn't see anything. To her relief, they were still standing with their backs to her and didn't see her destroy the cameras.

Ember scaled the glass walls of her enclosure, then went upside down to the air duct on the ceiling. Another slash of her claws and the metal was sliced enough for her to tear apart. She had just slipped into the tunnel when she heard two voices shouting below. She silently cursed her bad luck (or was it the sound of ripping metal?) and heading for the Queen's chamber.

_Quickly, Ember_! cried the Queen. _They will send for more warriors!_

_I'm coming_, replied Ember with uncharacteristic grimness.

She heard the lab start to stir with voices, most of which were angry. As she travelled through the ducts, panic began to seize her. What if she was captured before she could free the Queen? What if she was being monitored _right now_?

_I can't do this! I can't! I'll fail!_ cried Ember inwardly.

_Ember, get a hold of yourself_, said the Queen, not unkindly. _The humans can do little at this point. I very much doubt they are monitoring you. If they were, they would have found you by now._

Ember nodded though the Queen couldn't see her and picked up the pace. She couldn't fail. This was the only chance she had to free the Queen. If she failed now, the humans would surely keep a closer watch on her and she'd never get another chance. She'd never help the Queen. Never be free.

The thought of losing her freedom before she even got any drove Ember more than anything else to keep going. There was no way she could lose her freedom.

With Ember's speed, she soon made it to the Queen's chambers. Cutting away the metal of hte air vent, she dropped into the room.

_Hurry_, urged the Queen.

Ember went over to the captive Queen and began ripping through the metal bonds keeping her prisoner. She worked as fast as she could, but she feared the noise would attract the humans. Her racing heart and nerves made her fumble several times, nearly cutting the Queen.

_Careful_, the Queen would scold, but she stayed mostly silent while Ember worked. The only sound coming from her was a low hiss of anticipation.

Ember was just working on the last bond when a small squad of humans burst into the room.

"There she is!" yelled one of them, firing a shot at Ember that hit her in the upper arm.

Ember managed to stifle a shriek of pain, frozen with fear.

_Quickly, Ember,_ said the Queen. _Finish. Remember, they cannot kill you._

"Hold your fire," snapped another human. "If you kill the bug, General Jackson will have your ass." He scowled at Ember, who was safely hidden behind the Queen's long, flat crown, the only thing held in place with a bond.

The Queen flexed her claws, ready to sink them into human flesh.

"Uh...we should get out of here, sir," said a human, shaking with terror. "If the bug gets loose..."

The commander hesitated, apparently torn between fear of facing the Queen and not wanting to flee. He started to give a retreat order...

...and the Queen was free. With a cry of triumph, she bounded toward the humans, who started running.

They weren't fast enough.

One slice of the Queen's ebony claws and two of the humans were cut in half. A few more got in her way and were crushed. She blocked the door, cutting off the only escape route open to the humans. In panic, several fired at her. Most of the bullets didn't pierce her exoskeleton, but a few did, and made her give an ear-splitting scream. With the flat of the blade on her tail, she knocked the humans out cold.

_Tie them up, Ember,_ said the Queen. _And stay here. I will take care of the rest of the humans._

Ember couldn't help but shiver at the tone of pleasure in the Queen's voice. She couldn't imagine actually liking killing.

Which was why she wouldn't kill. Instead, she did as the Queen said and settled down to wait.

...

Please review! So, what did you think? Personally I enjoyed writing this chapter, and hope you all liked reading it.

Question: What do you think (or hope) will happen to Lar'ja-thwei?

My answer: Wait and find out ;)


	19. 17: TRUCE

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Sorry for the long wait but unfortunately it's something we're all gonna have to get used to. :( I'm not gonna ramble this time-just enjoy!

17: TRUCE

LAR'JA-THWEI awoke with his head pounding with a deep ache. He gazed around blurry-eyed, and found himself, to his horror, back in the Oomans' lab. Suddenly, he remembered that the abomination had knocked him out and leapt to his clawed feet with a roar of fury. A loud growl and shouts from the Oomans next door, where the Queen was contained, caught his attention. Then, there was a brief, eerie silence before there was a deafening _bang_ as the solid metal door crashed.

The Queen was loose.

She hissed as she looked around, tail lashing back and forth. She was ready to kill. Lar'ja-thwei cursed under his breath. How had she escaped? He guessed the abomination was somehow involved.

Hearing his soft curse, the Queen's head snapped in his direction, and she growled low in her throat. She ran up to the glass chamber in which he was imprisoned and slammed her shoulder into it. Cracks spread from the point of impact along the wall of the cage.

Lar'ja-thwei tensed and looked around for something, anything that could be used as a weapon, but of course, there was nothing of the sort. He was trapped with no way to fight. Even armed, expirienced warriors fell to Queens. What chance did Lar'ja-thwei have now? He'd be killed.

_No_, thought Lar'ja-thwei savagely as the Queen rammed the glass again, weakening it further. _I will not die! Not without proving my innocence and regaining my honor! I will not die a Badblood!_

Shards of glass flew everywhere as the Queen shattered the chamber, lunging for Lar'ja-thwei. The Yautja warrior leapt swiftly out of the way, snatching up a long, sharp piece of glass as he did so. It wasn't a spear, but it would have to do. It was all he had.

When the Queen turned and tried to clasp her jaws around him, he plunged the glass into the roof of her mouth, making her give an ear-splitting shriek of agony. Her acid blood melted through the glass, but her mouth was still bleeding heavily.

She blindly swung her tail at Lar'ja-thwei, opening a long, shallow gash across his thick chest. Swearing mentally, he kept dodging, trying to make a plan for killing the Queen. An idea occured to him, one that was risky but without any real options, he knew he had to do it. He grabbed another thick piece of glass, this one jagged and sharper than the previous one. Still moving to avoid being slain by the enraged Queen, he waited for a good moment to strike.

The Queen's bladed tail shot toward him. Moving aside, he was excited to see the blade of her tail get lodged deeply in the wall. Before she could try to pull it out, he sliced the blade from her tail.

The resulting scream from the Queen nearly deafened Lar'ja-thwei. He pulled the Queen's tail blade from the wall, preparing to strike at her. So far, his plan was working perfectly. He readied his new weapon and leapt forward to deliver the killing blow...

...and was knocked off his feet, the Queen's blade falling from his grasp. Looking up, he saw the abomination standing over him, and knew that she had stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled, leaping to his feet.

She stood in front of the Queen (as though that would do anything!), and said, "I won't let you kill her."

The Queen hissed softly at her. The experiment put her head to one side, listening, then replied in the _kainde amedha_ language (if it could even be called that). Something passed between them, an unspoken conversation, after which the Queen-reluctantly-seemed to give consent of some sort.

"Listen," said the abomination. "I don't want to kill you and I don't want you to kill the Queen."

"Is that right? And why should I trust you, demon?" spat Lar'ja-thwei.

She hesiated. "The Queen is willing to let you go. But..." she froze at the sounds of the building in an uproar. "We don't have much time. We all want to be freed from the humans, so we should all work together to defeat them."

"No," said Lar'ja-thwei. "Absolutely not. I will _not_ fight with a Queen and a monster like you!"

"You need our help," pleaded the demon. "I've convinced the Queen to not kill you or use you as a breeding host. But you need to work with us. There's no way you can fight off _all_ of the humans here."

"What makes you think I want to kill them all? I'll escape by myself," he said.

The sounds of angry Oomans were getting closer. A lot of angry Oomans. Despite his pride and his assertion that he could handle himself, Lar'ja-thwei reluctantly accepted that he would need some help getting out.

"I'll fight with you," he said carefully. "But only until I find an opportunity to escape. Understand?"

Relief was plain in the demon's eyes and she nodded. She looked at the door, through which many Ooman voices could be heard. For now, mutual survival would keep them together.

_But it won't last long_, Lar'ja-thwei silently promised.

...

Please review! Did you like this chapter? Sorry it took so long but you know, life gets in the way of stuff you really want to do. :P Especially school life...

Question: Does anyone here LOVE Dachande?

Answer: I know I fragging do! Anyone who understands/knows what that cuss word is from, props to you!

Leave your answer in a review!


	20. 18: MUTUAL SURVIVAL

Author Note: I don't own Aliens or Predators, though I wouldn't mind owning one. Sorry for the long wait but I've been busy and tired and had writer's block. Plus, I've got several stories to work on. I will try to update regularly again though. And for those of you who have read my story Predator: Apocalypse, the first chapter should be up very soon! :D Anyways, enjoy!

18: MUTUAL SURVIVAL

HUMAN warriors came rushing through the doors and aimed their weapons at the Queen, Lar'ja-thwei and Ember. Ember felt a stab of fear freeze her. For a moment, she wondered what she was doing. How could she fight off all of these humans? She never wanted to kill, but it looked like she would have to.

Then, she remembered everything the humans had done to her. They'd treated Ember as though she had no feelings, had tortured her and tried to make her into a weapon to fight for them. These humans cared nothing for her. She shouldn't...couldn't let them get away with what they did to her.

She felt amazingly calm after that. Her new purpose was to rid her life of these humans. She felt new resolve fill her. Ember was ready to maim and kill to get her freedom, the thing she wanted more than anything she'd ever wanted before in her short life. She wanted to be free and live with the Queen, who would take care of her.

She looked at Lar'ja-thwei and saw that his face was set in determination. He, too, was ready to kill.

_Get ready, little one_, said the Queen with a hiss.

To Ember's surprise, Jackson pushed his way through the crowd of warriors. He looked as intimidating as ever but Ember didn't even flinch under his steely gaze.

"CP-159, stand down," ordered Jackson. "Step away from the Xenomorph and Predator."

Ember lashed her tail. "I won't!" she said. "I will fight!"

His eyes narrowed. "I will give you one last chance, 159. Stand down."

Ember glared definantly at Jackson as Lar'ja-thwei growled deep in his chest.

"So be it," said Jackson. "Fire!"

The humans fired their weapons and all hell broke loose. Lar'ja-thwei, moving surprisingly swiftly for one so big, quickly ran into the crowd, somehow avoiding being shot. The Queen did the same, plowing in the crowd. She did get shot but the wounds didn't seem to faze her. While Lar'ja-thwei killed off all the humans in his way, the Queen simply swept her tail around and knocked most of them out cold. Most likely to use them as incubators for her young.

Ember hesitated for a moment before joining the battle. Jackson aimed a weapon at her and fired, missing her as she leapt aside with Xenomorph speed. She leapt at the human, claws outstretched. She raked them down Jackson's face, screaming in pain when he drew a knife and plunged it into her belly. The knife melted and Ember's wound healed. She tackled Jackson to the ground and pinned him down, slapping his weapon away.

"No one will hurt me anymore," said Ember.

A flash of black claws, and Jackson's throat was slashed open. Ember stepped back as the human lay dying, drowning in his own blood. Ember turned away and leapt into the thinning crowd of humans. In the time that it took to dispatch Jackson, the Queen and Lar'ja-thwei had either killed or knocked out most of the warriors in the room. A few broke rank and ran away, yelling for help.

"Let's go!" roared Lar'ja-thwei, pursuing the fleeing humans.

The Queen hissed in agreement and followed, with Ember tagging along soon after. The halls of the lab were full of chaos. Soldiers, scientists, and doctors were all in an uproar. Lar'ja-thwei, Ember noticed, was slaying all of the armed warriors, leaving the doctors untouched. Whoever Lar'ja-thwei spared, the Queen took care of. Ember stayed by her Queen and helped her, taking care to not damage most of the humans she faced. Unlike Lar'ja-thwei, the humans were useful to them.

As she fought, she briefly wondered why he was only killing the soldiers. Surely he hated the scientists too? She decided that it was a Yautja thing she wouldn't understand unless he explained it to her. Which she doubted would happen.

They were nearing the main entrance to the lab, and Ember kept expecting Lar'ja-thwei to dash outside and go to contact his Clan. But he kept fighting, and was going deeper into the lab. She wondered what he was doing. Ember considered that he was going to help them clear the lab, but thought it was unlikely. He'd made it clear he wanted nothing to do with them. So why was he staying? For revenge?

Ember had soon gotten over her initial resistance to fighting. As long as she kept her goal of freedom in mind, it really wasn't so hard to want to kill the humans. They surely deserved it.

They soon discovered that most of the humans had crowded to the area around the entrance-once they cleared that out, there were few humans. Some of them had run and were hiding in various rooms around the lab. The quiet that filled the lab once the huge crowd was gone was almost deafeningly loud.

The Queen turned to Ember, not at all weakened by the wounds she'd received. _I'm going to find a suitable place for a nesting chamber. Start gathering the humans and bring them when I call you. If any of them wake, knock them out again. _She hissed and looked at Lar'ja-thwei, who'd stopped to survey his surroundings. _And keep an eye on him_.

Ember nodded and watched the Queen walk away. She started to do her assigned job, then went after Lar'ja-thwei.

"Aren't you leaving?" she asked in Yautja.

"Not yet," he said curtly.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it matter to you, abomination?"

She put her head to one side. "I thought you were going back to your Clan."

He snarled at her. "It's none of your concern what I do. Go away."

Ember frowned and watched him walk off into the lab. He appeared to be looking for something, but what? Deciding that she should get to work rather than provoke the Yautja, Ember went in the opposite direction and started gathering the humans still alive for the nesting chamber.

...

Please review! :D

Question: Ideas for the story? (I have a plan for how the rest of the story plays out but if you guys have any ideas, I'm open to suggestions).

Leave your answer in a review!


	21. 19: DECISION

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Thanks to for reading and reviewing. Once again, Khalthar has given me a great story idea which I plan to definately use (he also helped me out with Predator: Apocalypse). Thanks a lot! Oh, and thanks to AVPLover. I'll will work your idea into the story as well. I do like to take advice my readers give me, so thanks a ton, and thanks for reviewing! :D Enjoy! Oh, and I didn't address this last time, but to the anonymous reviewer who left a comment about the fragging cuss word, yes I know it's a reference to the Vietnam war, but I was using it more along the lines of Transformers. Props to you, though, for knowing that! ^U^

19: DECISION

LAR'JA-THWEI was seething with rage. How did he get himself into this mess? Working with _kainde_ _amedha _and an abomination was beneath him! It was despicable!

He growled and threw the Queen's tail blade away in disgust, wondering where the _pauk-de_ Oomans had put his weapons and armor. To think that he had actually fought beside a _kainde amedha_ Queen and a Yautja-_kainde amedha_-Ooman creature. It was...

...amazing, really. Lar'ja-thwei stopped when he realized that he was, in fact, just as awed by this fact as he was disgusted. No, he was _more_ awed by it than anything else. How many other Yautja had ever fought by a _kainde amedha _Queen? Every hunter respected the sheer power of a Queen. They were among the most honorable trophies to obtain. But he had fought beside one. He had been allied with one of the most dangerous life-forms known to Yautja.

Then, there was the abomination. He slowly came to think that she really wasn't an abomination. What was her name? Ember? Yes, that sounded right. She wasn't a mere disasterous mix of different races. She was a unique and obviously strong being. She was...special.

Lar'ja-thwei shook his head and growled but he couldn't shake these new revelations. He _respected_ Ember and the Queen. The more the black-striped Yautja thought about it, the more he thought he could actually use his new alliance to his advantage. He continued his search for his supplies, an idea forming in his mind...

...

Lar'ja-thwei finally managed to find his meager supplies and was returning to the entrance to the Ooman building when he came upon an interesting scene. Ember stood before a Ooman male, a warrior, who had been previously unconscious on the floor. Lar'ja-thwei didn't understand exactly what he was saying, but it was clear that he was begging for his life.

Ember seemed to hesitate, which confused Lar'ja-thwei. Why didn't she kill him? He _had_ noticed that she didn't seem to like killing at all, and only did so if it was necessary. It was strange. Lar'ja-thwei was about to go put the Ooman out of his misery when Ember smacked the flat of her tail blade against his head, knocking him out. She then started to drag him away, as, apparently, she'd done to the others.

He started to wonder why she was doing that, then realized she was bringing them to the Queen to use as breeding hosts. He snorted.

When Ember came back and saw him, she put her head to one side, confused.

"I thought you were leaving," she stated in Yautja.

Lar'ja-thwei was silent for a long moment, still debating whether or not he should go along with his idea. It was insane, and he would be honestly surprised if the _kainde amedha_ Queen would agree to it.

Finally, he decided to do it. After all, what did he have to lose?

"Can you take me to the Queen and translate what I have to say to her?" he asked.

Ember looked utterly confused. "You...want to talk to the Queen? Why?"

Lar'ja-thwei explained his idea to her. Her expression went from disbelief to understanding to agreement. She seemed to not like one part of it but she was interested. Lar'ja-thwei hoped the Queen would be, too.

"I'll take you to her," said Ember. "I hope she likes your plan." She frowned. "Still..." She shook her head and started walking. For the first time, she seemed completely at ease with herself and her surroundings.

Lar'ja-thwei pondered her strangely childlike nature, and wondered just how old she really was. She was taller than Lar'ja-thwei himself, which made him think she'd be an adult in years as well as body. Then he realized that the Oomans could have done something to her to make her this way, a pup in an adult's body. He was about to ask her, then decided it could wait. Now was not the time.

Ember stopped in front of an open room, then turned to Lar'ja-thwei. "Are you ready?"

Lar'ja-thwei fought back a growl of annoyance. "Yes," he said.

Ember nodded and motioned for Lar'ja-thwei to follow. "Let's go."

...

Please review! Sorry it's short but don't worry. We'll be getting to the real interesting part next...

Question: What do you think is going to happen next?

My answer: Well, I already know. XD

Leave your answer in a review!


	22. 20: COMPROMISE

Author Note: Don't own Aliens or Predators. Sorry for not updating last week but I was sick, so I didn't write. I'm also busy with schoolwork and several other stories I'm working on, so as usual I'm just asking you to bear with me. Thanks to Khalthar for helping me with Ember-you've given me great ideas to work with. Also, thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!

20: COMPROMISE

EMBER led Lar'ja-thwei into the Queen's new nesting chamber, where she was already at work wrapping the unconscious humans in coccoons. Ember wondered why Lar'ja-thwei wanted to talk to the Queen. She thought he hated her and Ember, and just wanted to leave. So why was he still here?

The Queen looked up as Ember and Lar'ja-thwei entered. She snarled, a low growl rumbling in her throat. _What is_ he_ doing here?_ she demanded.

Ember glanced at Lar'ja-thwei, who seemed mostly unaffected by her growls. He stood up straight and calm. Confident, even.

"He wants to speak to you," said Ember. "I don't know what it's about, though." She shifted uneasily. "Will you let him talk?"

The Queen was silent for a long moment. Finally, Lar'ja-thwei broke the silence.

"I have a deal to make with you," he said. "One that will benefit you greatly." He looked to Ember, who quickly translated for him.

_A deal, he says?_ said the Queen. _What kind of deal, hunter?_

Ember repeated the question in Yautja.

"I will take you and your hive away from Earth, on a planet where you can safely build your hive and breed," said Lar'ja-thwei. "On Earth, you will never be completely safe."

"He says he'll take us and the hive to another planet because we won't be safe on Earth," said Ember.

The Queen shrieked. _You underestimate the strength of a hive, hunter!_ she exclaimed. _Besides, you would only use us for hunting, once we dominate the planet. I refuse to allow you to turn me into a breeding tool, or my offspring as your quarry._

"The Queen said you're underestimating a hive's power, and she refuses to let you use her and the hive for hunting," translated Ember.

Lar'ja-thwei shook his head. "I'm not planning to have you inhabit a planet to use as hunting grounds. And I haven't lived this long by underestimating _kainde amedha_," he said.

Once Ember had translated, the Queen hissed. _And how do I know I can trust you, hunter? And what could you possibly want from us in return? I highly doubt you would do this without gaining anything in return._

"What do you want in return?" Ember asked Lar'ja-thwei. "And how do we know you can be trusted?"

Lar'ja-thwei spread his hands. "And just how can I make you see that I can be trusted? Our races have never formed any sort of alliance." He looked at Ember. "Until she came along and made it possible."

Ember was stunned into silence for a long moment, digesting what he'd said. He made it seem like she was valuable to both Xenomorphs and Yautja, as if she could begin to bring an alliance between them. Finally, after the Queen asked her what he'd said, she repeated it, still mulling over the gravity of the situation.

_Don't let him get to your head, Ember. We still don't know if we can trust him. I for one highly doubt it_, said the Queen. _And he still hasn't said what he wants in return._

"What do you want?" asked Ember.

Lar'ja-thwei paused for a long moment. "I want your help," he said finally.

"My help?" said Ember. "With what?" She wondered what she could possibly help him with, and if she'd even want to.

"There has to be more to my brother framing me and getting me banished," said Lar'ja-thwei. "And at the moment, I'll be killed on sight. This is where you come in. I need you to go to my Clan and find out the truth."

Once again Ember was shocked into silence. The Queen went to stand protectively by her.

_What is it, little one?_ she asked.

Ember slowly explained what he wanted, not quite grasping what he was asking of her. How could he possibly think this would work?

The Queen roared in Lar'ja-thwei's face. _**No! Absolutely not!**_she shrieked. _I absolutely will NOT allow this! It wouldn't work anyway. The hunters would kill her on sight! And I refuse to have her anywhere NEAR your Clan!_

Ember winced at her loud yelling. She felt a fierce protectiveness eminating from the Queen. Her rage was mostly stemmed from the fact that the hunters would harm Ember. She translated what the Queen had said. She agreed with her uneasiness. Was he mad? How would it work at all?

Lar'ja-thwei was, amazingly, still calm. Ember remembered how insane he'd seemed to her. Perhaps this calmness was just masking the madness he carried? No sane person would ever suggest what he was.

"She wouldn't be harmed. At least, I don't think she would. Ember is unique, and only a fool would think to destroy her. If I can see that, so would other Yautja," said Lar'ja-thwei. "Besides, no one can kill her."

Ember translated this.

_So it would be okay for hunters to torture her without killing her as the humans did?_ demanded the Queen.

"You think it's okay for them to hurt me without killing me like the humans?" said Ember. She felt panic rising in her. She didn't want to live through neverending pain as she used to. "I just want to be free."

"As I said before, you are unique. And they don't know about your...immortality. Because of that, they wouldn't attempt to kill you," said Lar'ja-thwei. "You would just need to make sure no one finds out about your healing abilities."

Ember repeated this for the Queen, who still adamantly stood against it. _And just how does he know that everything will go exactly as he says it will? And we still don't know if he can be trusted. What if this is just a trap? _She snorted. _I question this hunter's sanity._

Ember secretly agreed. "How do we know this isn't a trap?" she asked on behalf of the Queen. "And how do you know they won't want to kill me?"

"A trap?" Lar'ja-thwei looked as though the thought had never occured to him. Not that that meant much, Ember thought, trying to think more like the Queen. "I assure you, I'm planning no trap. But again, how can I prove to you otherwise? And know they won't kill you. You're far too valuable."

_Valuable?_ shrieked the Queen. _She is not a pawn of anyone! The humans have already tried to use her as a weapon. Now you want to use her as a spy. What would the rest of your race use her for? Tell me _that_, hunter!_

Ember was gazing at the Queen in awe, full of emotion. She couldn't grasp how anyone could care for her this much. No one had ever cared about her, and having the Queen so angry on her behalf, and so protective was overwhelming. She finally managed to speak past the lump in her throat and unconsciously moved closer to the Queen.

"The humans already used me, and now you want to use me, too. What would the other Yautja use me for?" she said.

Lar'ja-thwei, for once, was at a loss for words. He didn't seem to have thought this all the way through. It wasn't surprising. It seemed to Ember that he had just come up with this crazy idea. And she still wondered if he was in the right mind...

"I'm not using her like the Oomans," said Lar'ja-thwei finally. "I'm _asking_ her to do this for me, and if she does, it will be of her own free will. And...to be perfectly honest, I don't know what anyone would want to use her for. It's more likely that they will want to know more about her."

_So you would let them study and expirament on her?_ said the Queen. Ember repeated this.

"No," said Lar'ja-thwei. "There is a big difference between expiraments and having her among them, and observing. Or asking questions," said Lar'ja-thwei. "And I'm sure she would have the protection of the Elders. At least, I hope she would."

_Enough_, said the Queen after hearing this from Ember. _That is enough of this nonsense. Until you can truely convince me of your trustworthiness and how you plan on making your insane idea work without Ember getting hurt, begone. I'm weary of this talk._

So saying, she returned to nesting. Ember repeated what she'd said and, after a moment's hesitation, went to help her Queen.

She had a lot to think about.

...

Please review. So...good? Bad? Please tell me!

Question: Hmm...We're gonna mix it up this time. YOU ask ME a question, and I'll answer them in the Author Note in the next chapter. :D

Leave your **question **in a review!


	23. 21: ATTACK

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Hello again my peoples! Whew, it's been a while. However for the past month I've been sick (still am as a matter of fact) and not up to writing. As it is, this is the only story I'm updating this week (thanks to Avplover for reminding me to write). Last chapter, I asked you all to ask me a question in a review rather than me asking you one. I did get one question, from Avplover, who asked what I would do if I met Ember. Well first I would hope she wouldn't give me to the Queen for a breeding host. Then I would befriend her and play with her (because she's like a little kid).

Anyways, sorry for the long wait, and I really will try to update regularly again. Enjoy!

21: ATTACK

LAR'JA-THWEI paced the empty room he was in, muttering under his breath. How in the name of the Black Warrior was he supposed to earn the hive Queen's trust? There really was no way to prove that he meant what he said, or that it wasn't just a trap.

Suddenly he let out a harsh bark of laughter. The absurdness of the situation finally hit him. Here he was, the first Yautja to communicate with a Queen, and the first to ever try to ally himself with one. He wondered if he'd lost his mind.

He shook his head. No matter how insane the situation seemed, he needed to think of something. He knew it was only a matter of time before more humans arrived. There was no way they'd leave the Queen and Ember in peace. It was inevitable that they would come and try to capture or kill the Queen and Ember. Lar'ja-thwei had to get them out of this lab before that happened. But how could he get them to trust him? After all, the Queens of the Kainde Amedha race were born with a hatred for his people. After all, they did hunt them like animals.

Another thought struck Lar'ja-thwei. Until he'd really talked to the Queen, _he_ had thought they were animals. Even the Queens, with their intelligence, were considered beasts. And yet...and yet they were clearly sentient creatures. A race with thoughts and emotions. This realization nearly overwhelmed Lar'ja-thwei. This was an important discovery, he realized. The Yautja had no problem hunting sentient, feeling creatures. Still, finding out that the Yautjas' favorite prey, which they treated as animals, weren't mindless beasts...it was staggering. It probably wouldn't change their hunting of them, but how would it change the Yautja if they knew that Lar'ja-thwei knew?

Again Lar'ja-thwei growled and shook his head. He really needed to think about earning the Queen's trust, not all this nonsense.

Lar'ja-thwei froze upon hearing a familiar sound. He put his head to one side with a frown, remembering that it was the sound of the Oomans' aircraft. Which meant he'd run out of time. The Oomans were coming.

_I have to warn the Queen_, thought Lar'ja-thwei.

He ran to the nesting chamber, wondering how close the Oomans were. He listened closely and realized that there were several of the aircraft approaching. How many of the Oomans were coming to the compound?

He burst through the doors of the chamber, ignoring the displeased snarl the Queen gave him.

"What are you doing here?" asked Ember, probably on behalf of the Queen.

"Do you hear that?" Lar'ja-thwei said. "The Oomans are coming."

The Queen and Ember both briefly listened. After a moment, Ember said, "The Queen says let them come. They will die."

Frusterated, Lar'ja-thwei said, "Don't you see? They will never leave you alone. They'll keep coming and eventually overrun this lab. You can't fend them off forever!"

Lar'ja-thwei waited, impatiently, as Ember and the Queen "spoke". The aircraft were dangerously close now.

"They can't possibly overrun a hive. You're underestimating us, hunter," said the Queen through Ember.

Lar'ja-thwei growled. "Even with a hive, they'd overrun it eventually. And you have no drones right now," he said. "Which will only make it easier for them to get to you."

Even as he finished speaking, he heard the aircraft landing. He took out his spear and snarled. He heard the Oomans entering the lab, and said, "They are attacking."

_If this doesn't earn her trust, I don't know what will_, he thought before saying, "I'll hold them off." Before they could reply, he ran toward the Oomans, intent on defending the Queen and Ember.

...

Please review. I apologize for the short chapter but I'm not really up to writing at the moment. I will update again as soon as possible.

Question: Did you all have a good Christmas (or other winter holiday you might celebrate)?

My answer: I sure did. I especially enjoyed our dinner of sushi and fruit salad. Yummy. :D


	24. 22: TRUST

Author Note: I don't own AVP. WHAT'S UP MY PEOPLES? I feel like such a horrible person for not updating in, like, _forever_, but it was just one thing after another and I didn't really have an opportunity to write. But I'm not going to get into all that. I will try my very hardest to update regularly again and even try to post some fanart for my stories sometime. By the way, if I do post art, it will be on my new Tumblr account. My name on Tumblr is d3l1ghtful1ns4n1ty, so feel free to check it out. If you want a certain character drawn, go ahead and tell me. Now on to the (long-forgotten) story!

22: TRUST

EMBER ran alongside Lar'ja-thwei, surprised by how reassured she was by having him by her side to fight. He'd already proven what a skilled warrior he was, which hadn't been quite as apparent when he was a captive of the Humans. She could clearly hear the helicopters landing on the island and had to suppress a brief stab of fear, which quickly gave way-to her immense surprise-by _anger_. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? All she wanted was to be free. She didn't want to be a weapon, or an expirament. Ember just wanted a home with the Queen and the future Hive.

_Maybe Lar'ja-thwei is right and the only way is to leave this world with him_, she mused.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when they reached the entrance of the lab complex and the initial assult began. The Human soldiers who'd come to retake the island fired on them, the sound of their weapons extra loud to Ember's sensitive ears. She did her best to ignore it and, acting on instinct and honed training, leapt away from the spray of bullets and cut down one of the soldiers. Her claws sliced easily through his soft flesh, blood spraying the wall and floor. Once he'd fallen, she moved on to the soldier next to him. This one got two bullets into her (it took all of her self-control to not flee with the pain), but didn't survive to pull the trigger of his weapon again as Ember attacked him with her deadly tail.

Nearby, Lar'ja-thwei was cutting down soldier after soldier with knife and spear. He, too, had gotten shot (and he certainly had no healing powers), but surprisingly, they didn't seem to be lethal wounds, despite the bullet holes in his broad chest. His amber eyes were alight with the fierce battle-rage he undoubtedly felt. Ember briefly thought that he probably hardly felt the wounds he had, elated as he was with the fight.

More soldiers entered the lab and joined the assult. Despite the fact that they were greatly outnumbered, Ember and Lar'ja-thwei were winning. When Ember was shot by a Human, her acid blood sprayed the face of the man next to her, melting through his face and skull. His dying shrieks of agony pierced Ember's ears as she killed the one who'd shot her.

She wondered how many had come to fight them and sliced through soldiers to get outside. Ember found six large helicopters, all undoubtedly holding as many soldiers as they could carry. She started fighting the soldiers still outside, turning the ground dark red with Human blood.

She froze momentarily when she heard Lar'ja-thwei roar with pain, blood running cold. She fought her way back inside and found him bleeding heavily from a knife wound. Anger filled her and, without thinking, she launched herself into the crowd of soldiers, slashing with claw and tail until she had cleared the area around Lar'ja-thwei. She felt like she was in a haze, couldn't think. She reacted automatically and slayed several more soldiers, until they seemed to realize just how much trouble they were in and beat a hasty retreat.

Ember started to go after them, but her tail was grabbed. She raised her claws and slashed, but was blocked, luckily, by Lar'ja-thwei's spear.

"Stop, Ember," he said.

Rage melting away, Ember lowered her claws and looked around at the massacre she'd caused. Her body was covered in red blood, especially her claws and tail.

"I...I did this?" she said faintly.

He nodded and coughed up some blood. Only then did Ember notice how badly he was hurt. His breathing was somewhat ragged-someone had gotten him in a lung. There were several bullet wounds in his chest and a knife wound in his belly.

He saw her looking at his wounds. "I'll live," he said. "I'm sure my brother's ship has medical supplies. I'll go get them."

But he only managed a couple steps before his right leg gave out and he sank to the wet floor. Apparently he'd also gotten hit in the knee.

"I'll go get them," said Ember. "What do these medical supplies look like and where can I find them?"

He hesitated, then said, "The medical bay is usually in the middle of a ship, and there should be a med kit in it. The kit will have syringes, vials of blue liquid, and other medical instruments."

Ember nodded and started to walk away. Before she exited, she said (without turning around), "I don't doubt you now, Lar'ja-thwei. We...we need to leave this planet."

Without waiting for a reply, she left.

...

Please review! So...good? Bad? Tell me what you think!


	25. 23: DEPARTURE

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Hello again and thanks for reading and reviewing Ember. Not much to say today. Enjoy!

23: DEPARTURE

THE QUEEN knew by the silence after the noise of battle that Ember and the Hunter had defeated the Humans. She'd never had a doubt that they would, but she still found herself proud of Ember. The Hive Mother knew her strange daughter hated killing (though she knew Ember didn't shirk from using them to breed), and was glad she could overcome that.

The Hunter, though, was still an issue. She still didn't think she and Ember could trust him. She knew he only wanted to use her to breed so she could hunt her offspring. The Queen had been used that way before by generations of Hunters, and she had no desire to be used again. Her hatred for the Hunters, and her suspicions, weren't just coming from her natural instinct-all of her kind naturally loathed the Hunters, for what they did to them-it was experience.

And yet...and yet, this Hunter...this _Lar'ja-thwei_...he had helped Ember and the Queen. He had fought with Ember. The Queen knew he was crazed, knew he probably could not be trusted...but he _was_ different.

_Of course_, thought the Queen, _he did also cut my tail-blade off and use it as a weapon..._ Her tail still throbbed from having the tip cut off. She was still very miffed about this, even though she was deadly even without her tail-blade.

Long after the battle was over, Ember and the Hunter finally arrived back at the Queen's nesting chamber. Ember was, of course, unharmed, but the Queen could smell the Hunter's blood, and saw his heavy limping. Internally she was glad the mad Hunter was hurt but said nothing about it, opting to greet Ember instead.

_Hello, little one_, she said.

_Hi_, Ember replied. The Queen sensed nervousness in her, and doubt.

The Queen gave a low, questioning hiss.

The Hunter said something to Ember, which she replied to and turned to the Queen.

_Here it comes_, she thought sourly, _the Hunter is going to ask for our cooperation again._

_Mother, I...I think we should go with Lar'ja-thwei_, said Ember tentatively.

The Queen reared and hissed with surprise. _Ember, do you realize what you are saying?_ she exclaimed.

_Yes, I know_, she replied. _I know you hate the Hunters, but I think we can trust Lar'ja-thwei. And we can't stay here on Earth. The Humans will never leave us alone_.

_More humans means more breeding hosts. Let them come_, scoffed the Queen. She couldn't believe Ember could even suggest they take the _Hunter's_ advice. _I have half a mind to kill that Hunter right now_, she thought with a growl.

_But..._ Ember began but the Queen cut her off.

_No. I refuse to accept that he will not enslave me and turn you into an expirament. I have plenty of experience dealing with his kind, and I know they are nothing but monsters. He will take me to a planet to use as a Hive simply so he can hunt and kill my offspring, just as the Hunter whose ship crashed here did. We are not leaving Ember. That is final._

_Mother please listen to me_, pleaded Ember, a note of desperation in her tone. _If the Humans don't leave us alone, we can't live in peace. _She thrashed her tail in frusteration. _I don't want to fight anymore! All I want is to live in peace, away from the Humans! I hate them! I don't want to have to fight them for my freedom every day! And I know if they realize they can't have this island, they will destroy it. They have weapons called bombs that can destroy everything! It isn't safe here!_

The Queen was a bit shocked by her obvious desperation. She hadn't known the small Humans had weapons capable of mass destruction like the Hunters. And she had seen what their "bombs" could do. Her pride and instinct warred against logic. Take the risk, and possibly be enslaved? Or stay here and risk being utterly destroyed?

Finally, she sighed and conceded. _Very well. I will go. If only because if I am enslaved I could escape, which is a better option than death._

Relief flooded Ember. _Thank you, Mother_, she said. She spoke to the Hunter, no doubt telling him that they would go along with his ridiculous plan.

And so, much later, the Queen found herself in a large nesting chamber aboard the hated Hunter ship, the only room big enough for her. Ember was off exploring the ship, unable to contain her excitement. The Queen hadn't had the heart to tell her to stay confined to her chamber with her, so she let her daughter explore. She shifted with uneasiness, memories of being trapped by Hunters filling her mind. It had taken every ounce of her will and self-control to force herself aboard the ship and into the nesting chamber. She felt the humming in the ship and the lurch of takeoff, and tried to suppress her dread.

Soon she'd find out if this was a mistake or the right choice. For once, she hoped she was wrong.

...

Please review! So what did you think? First Queen chapter, and I hoped it turned out okay.


	26. 24: INSTINCT

Author Note: I do not own Aliens or Predators. Guys, I am so sorry you all had to wait this long. But I was grounded from my Kindle Fire and computer for a long time (for really no reason, too), and I was busy with school, too. But now that it's summer vacation, I'll have more time to update my stories. Not only that, but I might actually have time to get a jump on other stories I want to start as well (one will be a full story based on my one-shot "A Queen's Life", an Aliens story). However, I'm planning to go to a Reserve basic training camp for six weeks as well, and I don't know when that'll be, only that I won't be able to update during that time. Anyways, on to the story! Also, I can't make any promises, but I'll try to post pictures of the characters on my Tumblr (my name, if you don't know, is d3l1ghtful1ns4n1ty).

24: INSTINCT

EMBER spent the next few hours exploring every inch of the relatively small ship. She'd never been on any spacecraft before, and found it exciting. She was amazed that she was flying through space, a place she'd barely even heard of. Best of all, she and the Queen would be safe from harm, and she could live a life of peace, like she wanted. Ember knew Lar'ja-thwei still wanted to take her to his Clan, but she hoped nothing bad would come of that. Still, some deeply buring instinct told her she'd better watch her back around other Hunters. After all, they probably couldn't all be trusted like Lar'ja-thwei, judging from the Queen's hatred of them.

Ember was certainly confused about the Hunters. Why would they spend their lives just killing, and for no apparent reason? Perhaps they did have their reasons, but killing other species and enslaving Queens didn't seem right to Ember.

After the initial excitement wore off and she remembered the Queen's deep anger and fear, she felt a little guilty about the fact that she was in the place she hated the most: aboard a Hunter ship. Ember made her way to the nesting chamber of the ship and her guilt grew when she saw the Queen hunched defensively in a corner, tense and ready to strike. She hissed softly as Ember approached, baring her needle-like teeth.

_Mother..._ said Ember, shifting guiltily. _I'm sorry. I just want us to be safe._

The Queen growled and didn't reply. Ember sensed a difference in her, as though her strong instinctive side was taking control. She took another step forward but stopped short when she was snarled at by the Queen. _Mother?_ she said, but her telepathy wasn't getting through to the Queen. It was as if she was being blocked out of her mind. That, more than anything (even being growled at) scared Ember. She was beginning to realize just how powerful the Queen's instincts truly were, stronger than she had anticipated. It was no wonder she took so long to convince that trusting Lar'ja-thwei could help them. Her instincts were far too deeply ingrained in her to be ignored.

The Queen surprised her by lunging forward and snapping her jaws at Ember, roaring at the top of her voice. Ember cried out and jumped back, quaking with terror. Her Hive Mother's fear and anger had overtaken her, turned her into a creature ruled by instict. And her instict was obviously telling her that Ember was a threat.

_It must be my Hunter and Human side_, Ember realized.

Seeing that the Queen was getting ready to strike again, Ember quickly fled from the room, the doors closing behind her. She slumped to the ground, heart hammering in her chest. Ember curled up with despair, wondering if the Queen had been pushed too far. And if the price of a life of peace would be her adoptive mother.

...

Please review. Sorry it's short but I want to get in updates for all of my stories. I'll try for a longer (and hopefully more interesting) chapter next time.

Question: Anything you want to see happen in "Ember"?

Also, I want to address my question from a while back, in which I asked for Prometheus theories. I just want to say ignore my earlier rambling about the movie. After seeing it a few more times and seeing a video on it (called Prometheus Explained-check it out because it's amazing!) on YouTube, I take back what I said before. To understand it better, just go to YouTube and look up Prometheus Explained. :)


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